Shake Your Skeleton
by hurriCADE
Summary: Beca, a social outcast who is constantly tormented at her high school, stumbles across a lonely red headed ghost stuck in an abandoned shed. They become very close, and both girls eventually begin to realize that they may be the key to saving the other. AU Bechloe fic
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: *breathes deeply* Okay, so I'm trying my hand at a multichapter fic. I haven't done one in a looong time (and they all sucked) so I'm actually really nervous. Like, really. Hopefully I can work it out okay. If not, please don't hate me, I tried Dx**

**Don't remember what gave me this idea...**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine. Wheeeee...**

* * *

Beca ran as fast as her legs would carry her, converse swishing through the grass as she panted with exertion. From behind her she could hear the leering calls of her persuers, throwing insults and threats as they chased her across the school's football field. She knew she could never outrun them; they were the star football players of Barden High. However, while they excelled in physical strength, she knew she could outsmart them, and she darted into the mass of trees at the end of the field in hopes of losing them.

She weaved around the trunks purposefully, taking quick turns and veering her path randomly. Her legs began to burn, and she cautiously slowed to a stop, taking in deep greedy breaths as she glanced warily over her shoulder. They seemed to have lost her trail, as they were now walking along aimlessly. However, they were getting dangerously close to where Beca was, and she desperately surveyed the area for a hiding spot. Seeing the school's old unused tool shed, Beca made a beeline for it, carefully trying to cushion her footsteps so not to alert her tormentors of her position.

The door was bolted shut, and Beca tugged at it desperately, muttering profanities under her breath as she glanced up to see where her persuers were.

"Dammit," she growled, yanking at the lock again. The group of boys was getting closer by the second, and in a panic Beca darted around the side of the shed, looking around frantically. Her eyes spotted the old rotted window on the side of the building, too dusty to see through, and the brunette hastily forced it open, clambering through the old frame.

She landed rather ungracefully on the dusty wooden floor inside the shed, but she held her breath, tensing as she heard her persuers' thundering footfalls from outside. Her whole body went rigid in anticipation, and she could hear them talking amongst themselves as they walked straight past her hiding spot. After what felt like an eternity their voices died off in the distance, and Beca breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing her tensed body. Waiting a few cautious minutes, Beca eventually deemed the coast to be clear as she stood shakily. Her legs feeling like jelly after all the running, and she absentmindedly scoffed at how out of shape she was as she surveyed her surroundings.

The shed was bigger than it appeared from the outside, and junk was clustered in piles against the weak walls. The floor was worn and dirty, a few floorboards missing or broken. The shed's air was musty and old, the newly opened window being the only air circulation it received in ages. Beca absentmindedly wondered when the last time was that someone had been in the abandoned shed; she had heard rumors of it being haunted, but the stories came from show off peers who probably hadn't even been anywhere near the segregated building.

A sudden noise from the rafters startled the teenager, and her mind reeled as she involuntarily recollected all the ghost stories she'd heard other students speak of. Glancing up nervously, her eyes caught only a quick flicker of red before it vanished. She blinked in surprise; this place couldn't actually be haunted, could it?

"...Hello?" she called out warily.

"Hi!"

Beca jolted in surprise, and ghostly glowing image suddenly popped out of nowhere, drifting rapidly towards her. She tried to run, but her tired legs gave out beneath her as she turned, sending her stumbling to the ground amongst a mass of garbage bags.

"Get away from me!" Beca screeched in panic, voice cracking. The spirit only floated closer, smiling innocently, and Beca gritted her teeth, eyes widening in terror as she pressed her back into the garbage bags behind her in an attempt to distance herself as much as possible. Her feet scuffled on the floor in her efforts, and she realized with horror that she couldn't move back any further.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the ghost tried to reassure the terrified girl as she reached an arm out, but Beca, in her frightened state, didn't seem to hear her. She recoiled away from the phantom's outstretched hand, hiding her face in her knees and whimpering in fear.

"Please don't come any closer!" she breathed out, her whole body shaking. The ghost, realizing this approach wasn't working, backed away with her hands up.

"Okay, okay, I'm backing away. It's okay," the ghost said softly, feeling bad for inducing so much fear in the teenager. She settled for crossing her legs and lowering herself to the ground about six feet away, silently watching the cowering girl before her. She felt guilt wash over her as she waited for the teenager to calm down. She hated upsetting anyone, and she hadn't meant to terrify the brunette; it was an accident on her part, as she often forgot that unsuspecting people would find her frightening. Replaying the events in her head she mentally kicked herself, realizing just how terrifying she probably came off as with her suddenly appearing and absentmindedly cornering the poor girl. After a few minutes Beca's shaking and whimpering subsided, and the ghost snapped out of her thoughts, watching on hopefully. Eventually the brunette's body relaxed from it's tensed up position, and she cautiously peeked out from her knees.

The ghost was perched rather innocently a few feet away from Beca, and she offered the brunette a small apologetic smile when she realized the girl was looking at her. Now that Beca properly saw the ghost, she found it appeared rather harmless, and absentmindedly noticed it's beauty. The ghost was in the form of a girl, probably not much older than Beca herself, and it had bright flaming red hair and vibrant blue eyes that seemed to have a ghostly glow to them.

"Are you okay?" the ghost spoke, startling Beca out of her thoughts. She stared at the spirit warily, but after a few seconds she deemed the ghostly girl harmless enough to speak to.

"Um, y-yeah. What- Who are you?" the brunette asked slowly, cautiously easing herself into a proper sitting position. The ghost smiled encouragingly, seeing Beca move from her terrified defensive position.

"Sorry I scared you. I'm Chloe," the ghost responded. Her eyes flickered to the mass of garbage bags Beca was still pressed into. "Do you wanna come away from all that garbage? I promise I won't hurt you."

Beca's eyes met Chloe's, judging whether or not the ghost was telling the truth, before hesitantly easing her body out from behind the black bags. She moved to sit with her knees pulled to her chest a few feet away from the phantom, loosely wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. Chloe smiled brightly.

"See? You're perfectly intact. I didn't harm you in anyway," the ghost said, half jokingly, half reassuringly. Beca only nodded timidly, looking thoughtful before pressing her lips together.

"Um, so are you, uh... Dead?" Beca asked tentatively, being careful with her wording. Chloe nodded, not seeming bothered by the question.

"Yeah, and I've been stuck in here the whole time. It's been _so_ _long_ since someone's come by here! I've been incredibly bored," the ghost said, sounding quite happy that Beca had stumbled across the old shed. "What brings you here anyway? You dove in her pretty quickly."

Beca lowered her gaze slightly. "Just exploring and stuff," she lied, shrugging off the question. Chloe didn't seem to buy it, raising an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing more on the matter.

"Hey, I never got your name," Chloe prompted lightly, easily changing the topic. Beca's eyes connected with the ghost's questioning ones, and she found her breath hitching as she registered just how captivating Chloe's eyes were. They were the kind of eyes a person could stare into forever, and the ghostly glow only seemed to add to this effect. Suddenly realizing the red head was still waiting expectantly for an answer Beca blushed slightly, breaking eye contact to stare at her shoes.

"Um, I... Beca," she answered shyly, playing with her shoelaces. The ghost smiled at the adorableness of the awkward brunette.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but you aren't a very social person are you?" the ghost asked in a playful tone. Beca glanced up curiously, offering a tight lipped grin at Chloe's analysis.

"No, not really," she answered honestly. Chloe floated a bit closer to the brunette, and though Beca's eyes flickered up at her, Chloe was pleasantly surprised when the girl didn't back away or flinch in fear.

"Well, it's okay. I have a feeling we're going to be really fast friends," Chloe said confidently, winking in a playful manner.

"Oh, so we're friends now?" Beca asked in a teasing tone. Chloe nodded enthusiastically, grinning.

"Oh yeah, totes. You're stuck with me now. You could say it's the haunting reality you're going to have to live with," the red head responded in a similar playful tone. Then she sobered slightly. "But, you'll have to come see me, because I can't leave this shed."

"Why aren't you able to leave?" Beca asked, glancing around at the disgusting state of the building. It seemed so lonely, gloomy, and the brunette couldn't help feeling a wave of sympathy for the ghost before her. How long had Chloe been stuck here?

"Well I was killed here, and I guess I have some unfinished business. You know, all that jazz. But I don't exactly know how I'm supposed to take care of this 'unfinished business' if I can't leave or touch anything," Chloe used her fingers as air quotes.

"That kind of sucks," Beca said, and Chloe chuckled at the brunette's bluntness, causing Beca to blush. "Um, how long have you...?"

"To be honest I'm not totally sure," the ghost said thoughtfully. "I mean, I don't have any clocks or calendars in here. Awhile I guess."

Beca nodded, opening her mouth to ask another question when her phone went off. Chorus for 'Titanium' erupted loudly in the silence of the shed, and Beca jumped slightly at the sudden noise. Chloe's eyes widened.

"I love this song!" she squealed, beginning to bop her head and dance in her spot. Beca smiled at this, the first genuine smile Chloe had seen on the brunette, and the ghost couldn't help but smile back as she thought to herself how much she really liked seeing Beca's smile. It was so vibrant, infectious, and beautiful, and Chloe vowed that she would try to see that smile as much as possible.

"You know David Guetta?" Beca asked, sounding excited as her finger stopped just over the answer button. Chloe nodded enthusiastically, grinning widely.

"Of course! Do I live under a rock?"

Beca's eyes narrowed slightly, glancing around at the shed they we're in; she didn't want to say anything that would offend the ghost. However, Chloe caught on the Beca's train of thought and chuckled.

"I guess I kind of do. But the guy that lives in the house across the road always has his radio on in the evenings, and I like to float near the hole in the back wall and listen." Chloe explained. Beca nodded in understanding, standing as she finally answered her phone. Chloe floated over to the window while Beca talked, relishing in the fact that it was finally open; she always felt so sealed off inside the rickety shed, and while it was still quite isolated, she could at least hear and see the outside world now.

"That was my mom," Beca said. "I have to head home."

"You _have_ to come back and visit again soon," Chloe insisted, flying over to the brunette. Beca jumped back at the sudden intrusion of space, and Chloe was worried she had scared the girl again, but Beca only chuckled, looking incredulously at Chloe's feet a few feet above the ground.

"That's actually really cool," Beca said with a grin, and Chloe giggled, floating higher and flipping upside down so her face was level with Beca's.

"You better come back and see me," Chloe said, smiling at Beca's amazed look. "As soon as possible! It's so lonely and boring here!"

Beca gave a reassuring smile to the ghost, once again noticing the brightness of Chloe's glowing eyes. "I will, I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So, wow. I can't believe how many followers I've gotten for this! I had originally planned for this to just be a quick, cute, small fic, but then an idea for a plot came in. And then an even more dramatic, detailed plot came to me. And now I have this intricate web of ideas strung through my head for this fic; I'm just trying to sort these ideas out. Sorry if I took so long by the way, but the school year's coming to a close and things are speeding up. You know how it is:3**

**I'm not really fond of this chapter, it's more of a filler to show Beca's family situation. I don't really like how I've put this one together, but I had no idea how else I could do it, so... Sorry if it sucks.**

**Review responses:**

**LeeShaw: I'm glad you like it so far! I appreciate you telling me:)**

**Michikame: Sorry, she is xD I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint, even if it is just a filler chapter:3**

**mbj2323: Aww, thank you! It's nice to hear my writing is good and easy to understand. I appreciate it:) Here's the next chapter! May not be the best, but it's a filler chapter.**

**BG-13: I'm glad I've caught your interest! Hopefully I continue to hold your interest:)**

**To the two anonymous guest reviewers: Thanks for taking the time to review! I'm glad I've interested you! Hopefully I'm able to keep your interest:3**

**DISCLAIMER: Still no.**

* * *

"I'm home," Beca called out, pushing through the front door and slipping off her shoes.

"In the kitchen, honey," Beca heard her mom's voice respond. Striding into the small familiar kitchen, the brunette tossed her backpack by the stairs before silently joining her mom in making supper. The two worked effortlessly into a wordless synchronization, shuffling within the small area and around each other with ease. However, Beca could tell her mother wanted to say something, and she had a feeling she knew what.

"So how come I got a call from the school saying you skipped your last two classes?" Danielle, her mom, asked after a few seconds. Yep, there it was. Beca bit her lip, shrugging nonchalantly.

"It's nothing," Beca brushed the question off, not wanting to tell her mom about the bullies that had chased her off the school grounds, or the ghost that she had met because of the incident. Danielle glanced up at her daughter with concern and disappointment.

"This can't become a habit, it's the third time this month," she said, pausing in her vegetable slicing.

"It's nothing," the brunette said again, staring intently at the stew she was stirring. "I'm working on it."

Danielle pursed her lips, choosing to let the subject drop for now as she threw the celery into the pot. A few moments of silence passed before the older woman decided to address a different issue. "Your dad phoned for you again."

Beca stiffened slightly before she hummed dismissively, grabbing the salt shaker.

"Honey, you can't shut him out forever just because things between us didn't wor-"

"It's not just that, mom," Beca said with a hint of force, her hand tightening around the spoon she was holding. "It's a lot of other things too okay? It goes beyond the divorce."

There was a tense silence, and Danielle looked at her daughter in concern and confusion. Beca set her jaw at this, ducking her head and narrowing her eyes. Her mom didn't know what had happened between father and daughter to destroy their relationship, as neither one of them had been willing to share. And Beca wasn't about to share now.

As a teacher at Barden High, Ryan, her dad, had seen Beca's everyday struggles at school. But unlike most fathers, he turned a blind eye to everything happening to his daughter, choosing to ignore the issues as if they weren't happening at all instead of putting a stop to them as a teacher or father should. One incident stuck out painfully in her brain, shooting through her mind every time her dad was ever mentioned.

It had been a regular school day, a few years ago, and her dad had been on supervision at lunch hour. He had been walking along the school grounds casually, hands in his pockets and head held high, but when he rounded the corner of the school he was just in time to see Bumper Allen and his goons menacingly attack Beca, throwing tormenting insults and violent punches. It was the first time her tormentors had physically attacked her, and all she could do was desperately scream and cry, hoping someone would stop them. Through the violence, Beca's eyes had caught sight of her dad, and relief flooded over her knowing he would stop the assault. She distinctly remembered how she had called out to him, voice raw with pain and emotion as she begged him to help her. His observing eyes had locked with her terror-filled ones, and she knew, she just knew he would save her, just like fathers were supposed to. However, to her complete surprise and devastation she watched as he turned his head away like he had seen nothing, casually walked back around the corner and leaving Beca to the ruthless bullies that plagued her.

The flashback caused a pang of anger and hurt in her chest, and she shook her head to rid herself of the awful memory. Her pleading voice, his cold uncaring eyes, all of it had been seared into her brain, and she knew she wouldn't be able to forget it anytime soon, nor would she ever be able to forgive her dad. He had failed at being both a teacher and a father that day; he had chosen to leave his own daughter in her time of need simply because the boys' families were rich and influential. Boys who were now her daily tormentors. When the two had arrived home that day, Danielle had noticed the drastic change in their relationship, but both refused to speak of it, and the strain between them remained strong ever since.

"I wish you would tell me what this was all about. You two became so distant after that day and you never told me what happened," Danielle pressured gently.

"It doesn't matter. What's done is done, and I'm not talking to him after what he did," Beca said curtly, wanting this conversation to come to an end. She didn't want to think about her dad anymore.

"After what he..." Danielle said questioningly, sounding hesitant. Beca glanced up inquisitively at this, taking in her mom's worried look.

"Why do I always feel like you're not telling me something?" Beca asked accusingly. Danielle sighed.

"Beca, he just went through a dark time, that's why he cheated on me and quit his teaching job. And maybe that's why he was so neglectful to you."

Beca shook her head angrily. "Don't make excuses for him. And he was 'neglectful' long before his 'dark time,' so he earns no sympathy from me."

Danielle sighed, knowing she would get no further tonight. "Okay baby, it's your decision."

* * *

Beca walked slowly down the school's empty hallways, carrying her paper bag lunch in her hands. The lunch room had been filled, no surprise there, and Beca was headed toward the drama room where she usually ate. However, as she neared the door her eyes caught sight of a neon blue poster, and she was reminded of vibrant blue eyes that shone with acceptance and friendliness. Not having to think twice, Beca walked straight past the empty drama room and out the exit door, making her way across the football field.

"Chloe?" Beca called into the open window, peering inside the old shack. After a few seconds of silence she hesitated, beginning to wonder if she had imagined the whole thing. However, a glowing figure soon floated down from the rafters, and Chloe beamed as she saw the small brunette standing outside the window.

"You came back!" she exclaimed excitedly as Beca began to climb through the window.

"Of course I came back," the brunette said, sliding in and stumbling as she landed unsteadily on a garbage bag. Narrowing her eyes at the offending black bag, she kicked it off to the side. "I promised I would."

"I'm so happy you came back! I was worried you wouldn't!" Chloe admitted, literally floating with joy.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Beca chuckled, glancing back a the window she entered through. She analyzed her surroundings thoughtfully before spotting half a mattress shoved in the back corner. Setting her lunch on the window sill, Beca maneuvered around the junk and heaved at the old half mattress. After a few struggled seconds the brunette was able to shove it forward and placed it under the window to serve as both a landing mat and a sitting spot. Though neither girl said anything, Chloe grinned even wider, knowing this implied Beca would be visiting again. Grabbing her lunch, the brunette sat down on the edge of the mattress, and Chloe floated down to hover cross-legged next to Beca.

"So what've you been up to? Is that your lunch?" Chloe asked, nodding toward the bag in the brunette's hands. Beca nodded, and as if to prove her point she reached in, pulling out a bacon sandwich.

"I hope you don't mind if I eat. I just wanted to come by," Beca said, hesitating with unwrapping her meal. It hadn't occurred to her that maybe Chloe wouldn't want to just sit there and watch her eat. Chloe easily waved her off.

"Of course not, dig in. I'm just glad you're here," Chloe gushed, and a shy smile flashed across Beca's face as she began unwrapping her sandwich. "Um, don't take this the wrong way," the ghost began hesitantly, "but how come you're not having lunch with your friends?" When Chloe was alive, she remembered lunch was her favourite part of the day. Her big group of friends would always find something to gossip, joke, and laugh about as they ate, and the redhead grinned fondly at the memory.

Beca took a big bite, shrugging nonchalantly at the phantom's question. "I _am_ having lunch with my friend."

Chloe giggled, hardly understanding the brunette through her full mouth. Though she felt quite touched at Beca's words, it once again made her question the girl's social life, but she decided not to press any further. "You need to learn not to speak with your mouth full," Chloe said teasingly, jabbing at Beca with a ghostly finger. Her finger went right through the teenager's arm, and Beca jumped in surprise.

"Whoa, that feels weird," Beca said with intriguement, staring at Chloe's hand in fascination. The red head pulled her hand away.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, worried she may have freaked out the brunette. Beca only shook her head with reassurance, grinning at Chloe.

"No, it's okay. It was a cool weird," Beca said, and Chloe relaxed, smiling at the girl's choice of wording. She moved slightly closer to the brunette, gauging Beca's reaction before she reached out and put her see-through hand over the teenager's existing one.

"What does it feel like?" Chloe asked curiously, watching as Beca involuntarily shivered and goosebumps spread down her arm.

"Kind of like being touched by cold water," Beca said thoughtfully after a moment's pause. "Shocking, but kinda refreshing." Chloe nodded, processing the information interestedly. Beca pressed her lips together, curiosity running wild. "So you can't move or touch anything?" the brunette asked after a few moments hesitation. Chloe smiled sadly at the question, shaking her head.

"No. I know it's possible. I've tried so many times to touch things, really concentrate on what I'm trying to move or touch, but it never works. See?" To prove her point, the redhead reached her hand out to a small stick on the floor. A look of concentration crossed the ghost's face, but to her disappointment her hand phased right through the stick.

"How do you know it's possible?" Beca questioned.

"I've heard of other ghosts doing it before. Poltergeist ghosts, we call them," Chloe explained. Beca narrowed her eyes in thought, biting her lip.

"Do you think maybe only certain kinds of ghosts can do it?"

Chloe shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure any ghost can learn to do it. Which is why it frustrates me so much that I can't figure it out."

Beca, sensing the ghost's aggravation at the topic, felt sympathy for her. She couldn't imagine how frustrating a situation like that must be. "It'll be okay Chlo," she said reassuringly. "You'll figure it out eventually, and I'll try to help you as much as I can."

The ghost gave Beca an odd look. "You called me Chlo," she stated slowly.

The brunette faltered, eyes widening. "Um, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It just kinda-"

"No, it's okay," Chloe cut off the babbling girl with a goofy smile. "I like it."

Beca let out a breath, giving the redhead an adorably dorky grin. "You do?"

Chloe nodded her head, smiling enthusiastically at Beca's awkwardness. "It makes me feel like you've accepted me as a friend. And you treat me like I'm a regular person instead of a ghost, you know? It's comforting."

The brunette nodded at the admittance. "Well, that's because you _are_ my friend," Beca said bashfully. "Though in my opinion, you're too amazing to be considered a regular person."

Chloe blushed, grinning. "What do you mean by that?"

Beca squirmed awkwardly, pressing her lips together as she played with her hands. "Well, you know. You're really nice and friendly, more so than anyone else I've ever met, and you're really beautiful, and you seem so confident." The teenager covered her reddening face with her hands, not noticing the adoring look Chloe was giving her. "I'm sorry, I'm being really weird right now. I should just stop talking."

"No, it's okay," Chloe said again, moving closer to the embarrassed girl. "That's the most sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Do you really mean all of it?"

Beca peeked out between her fingers, nodding nervously. The ghost touched Beca's hands with hers, encouraging her to move them away from her face. She did so hesitantly, her shy steely blue eyes connecting with Chloe's warm glowing ones. The ghost gave the girl a soft reassuring smile.

"I'm so glad I met you, Beca," the redhead admitted, her face close to Beca's. The brunette slowly returned the smile with one of her own.

"I'm glad I met you too, Chlo."

* * *

**A/N: Still don't really like this chapter. What do you think? Hopefully I don't lose everyone's interest over it.**

**Random question: What would you do if you found a friendly ghost in your school's shed?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, so after I published the last chapter, I was immediately angry at myself as I realized something: with all the editing and heavy changes I did to the last chapter, ****_BECA'S FRICKING SANDWICH DISAPPEARS._**** Those continuation errors always bug me, and I made ****_extra sure_**** I didn't have one with the sandwich. Like, I made a conscious effort. I had originally wrote in a sentence about Beca quickly finishing the rest of her sandwich, but I took that paragraph out without thinking. And now I'm mad.**

**...But besides that, all your lovely reviews made me feel a lot better; I'm glad so many of you like it so far! Your reviews were awesome, and motivated me to start the next chapter! I did some research on different types of ghosties for this one, which was quite interesting. Anyway, read on:)**

**Review responses:**

**There were so many guest reviews that I can't respond to, so I'd just like to say thanks to all the guests that reviewed; all your reviews made me smile, and some were quite funny:)**

**mbj2323: I loved your review; it was very sweet, and really made me feel better about the last chapter. Your response to my random question actually made me giggle; my mom looked at me really funny but whatever. And I thank you for the virtual cookie; nice to see my efforts are worth it;)**

**BG-13: Maybe. Perhaps Beca can help her figure things out. You'll have to wait and see; her issue is revealed in this chapter:3**

**LaRibeiro: I'm sorry, she is. But she's still very much present in this fic, so don't be too sad; hopefully you can still find my fic interesting, though I could understand if you can't. My fic just might not be interesting to you, which I can respect:) Thanks for taking the time to review though; I'm glad you think it's a good idea:3**

**Liptony: I'm glad you find it interesting! Chapter three is here:3**

**TheGreenEyedRioN: That's a good point, thanks for the reassurance; really helped me out. And I agree, a ghost companion would be totally awesome:)**

**TeddyD100: Glad you think so! Read on, my aca-friend:)**

**Neyo: Thanks! Very reassuring:) I'm glad you're so interested. And don't worry, I'm a total chicken shit too:3**

**Roses and Poison Ivy: Glad I've snatched your interest! Hope you continue to like it:)**

**Coolerthanadesert: I'm glad you liked it! Your review amused me:) But I agree, Beca's dad is a bad word haha:P**

**DISCLAIMER: I really don't own anything. I technically don't even own these words; someone else invented these words, I'm just picking ones and placing them in a particular order. Semiparticipletationiation. See? I made that word. Right now. Spell check doesn't even know what to think. It won't even underline it. ****_SPELL CHECK FEARS MY WORDS_****. (there's something wrong with me today, I'm sorry...)**

**Ehhhhh, long author's note...D: Read on, shippers.**

* * *

Beca shut the front door, not even pausing as she jogged up the stairs with her shoes still on. Entering her semi-messy bedroom, Beca unzipped her backpack and turned it upside down, giving it one quick shake to dump it's contents carelessly onto the floor. Taking her now empty backpack, the brunette snatched her laptop off her dresser, gently sheathing it into her bag along with her headphones. Next, Beca grabbed her wallet, flipping it open and shuffling through her cards until she found her library card. Slipping it into her back pocket, the teenager zipped her backpack shut and hoisted it over her shoulder, exiting her room.

Stepping quickly down the stairs, Beca headed straight to the door again. "I'm going to the library, mom," she called over her shoulder, opening the door.

"Wait Beca, come here for a second!" her mother's voice responded hastily, sounding offput. The brunette paused mid-step half way out the door, hesitating before sighing and stepping back into the house. Closing the door again, Beca turned and walked slowly into the living room. However, she was taken completely off guard as she entered the room, and her breath caught in her throat as she saw who was standing before her.

"Dad?" she asked disbelievingly, eyes widening. She hadn't seen him since he'd walked out on Danielle, and to be honest she would have been perfectly fine never seeing him again.

"Beca," Ryan responded, nodding stiffly in greeting. Her mom was seated on the couch, looking uncomfortable with the situation as she gave a weak smile up at her daughter. Beca glanced at her mom questioningly.

"Mom, what's _he_ doing here?" she asked the woman on the couch. Ryan spoke before Danielle could respond.

"I tried calling you yesterday and you never called me back, _again_," he said in a reprimanding tone. Beca narrowed her eyes.

"I was busy," she responded curtly. Ryan hummed in response, rocking on his heels slightly.

"And what about the time before that? And the time before that?" he retaliated.

"Not that I have to explain myself to you, but did it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't want to talk to you?" Beca responded coldly.

"Beca..." Danielle said warningly, trying to intervene. The two ignored her.

"I'm trying to fix things, Beca," Ryan said exasperatedly.

"There's nothing to fix," the brunette said. "You shut me out, I shut you out, right? Simple as that. There's nothing for you to _fix_."

Ryan sighed, trying to look at Beca with apologetic eyes, but all the teenager could see was the cold uncaring eyes that had left her to fend for herself on the school grounds. "Look, I know that after I left you and Danielle-"

"You and I both know that's not what this is about," Beca snapped, interrupting him. Ryan tightened his jaw, lowering his gaze to the ground. The air became more tense than it had been a few seconds ago, and the brunette, not giving her father a chance to respond, cast her mom one last glance before turning and walking away, leaving Ryan to watch her exit with an unsettled look. _Just like he did, _she thought bittersweetly, closing the door behind her as she stepped out into the sunlight. Shaking any further thoughts of her dad out of her head, Beca took a deep breath, blinking quickly to stop any frustrated tears. Remembering the initial task she had planned, the teenager composed herself before beginning down the sidewalk in the direction of the library.

* * *

The library wasn't very busy, much to Beca's relief, and she was able to snatch the secluded table in the back corner. Setting her sweater on the table so no one tried to take her claimed spot, Beca warily approached one of the workers. After a few seconds of hesitation, the brunette finally summed up the courage to speak.

"Um, can you help me find something?" she asked. The boy turned, and Beca glanced up at his face fleetingly before averting eye contact, settling her gaze on his name tag. 'Benji' it read, and Beca absent-mindedly studied the font as the boy spoke.

"Oh yeah, sure. What are you looking for?" he asked, sounding friendly enough for Beca to give him a tight-lipped grin.

"Um, do you have any books on ghosts? Like, factual or informational?" she asked, and her heart raced as the question left her mouth. She was worried he would look at her weirdly, judge her for asking such a weird thing, or figure out why she was asking in the first place. However, to her relief he simply grinned.

"We do have a few actually. Follow me," Benji said. He led the timid brunette through a maze of shelves before they reached a more secluded area of the library. "I love the supernatural myself," Benji spoke up again, not seeming to mind Beca's social awkwardness at all. "There's only four non-fiction books on ghosts, because a lot of the other ghost books are those made up ghost stories for scaring people." He reached up, grabbing the four books he had mentioned and holding two of them up. "Now, of the four, I think these two are the best. They have the most information. The other two have a lot of made up stuff in them." He handed Beca the two he had recommended, with the girl muttering a shy thanks. As an afterthought, he pointed to the smaller of the two in Beca's hands. "This one's my favourite. It talks about all the different types of ghosts that exist, and the characteristics of each of them, plus it has a lot of cool facts and stuff. I'd definitely read this one first if I were you," he explained. Beca glanced up at this.

"Does it have anything on poltergeists?" she asked. Benji nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah, it talks a lot about them. Anything you're looking for on ghosts will probably be in those books. Hope you enjoy them, and if you need anything else don't hesitate to ask," he said cheerfully.

"Kay, thanks," she said, offering him a small smile. He returned it with a lopsided grin of his own before heading back to the book rack he had been working at. Beca made her way back to her table, happy to see no one had claimed her spot as she slid her backpack off and onto the table with a sigh of relief. Settling into her chair, the brunette set down her books and pulled her laptop out.

* * *

Beca was actually able to find quite a bit of information in her research session. After finding a few dud sites and scaring herself shitless by accidentally reading some graphic ghost stories, the teenager gave up on searching the web for information and settled for reading the books Benji had handed to her. Turned out the books _were_ quite informational, and she mentally cursed herself for trying the internet first; everything she was looking for was in this book.

She found out that Chloe was considered an 'intelligent haunting,' which was the residual spirit left behind by a deceased individual. It was usually harmless and often sought out human attention by doing things such as flickering lights, opening doors and moving things around. They were often thought of as being trapped between the passing world and the living world, and were stuck because of some sort of unfulfilled duty they had not taken care of. Beca could remember Chloe mentioning something about 'unfinished business,' and it made her wonder what sort of duty the redhead had yet to take care of; was it something that would eventually be able to be completed, or would Chloe be stuck in the shed forever?

Beca also found information on poltergeists, but they weren't what Beca had originally thought they were. In fact, it made the brunette wonder if Chloe truly knew what poltergeists were, with the description she had given. Poltergeists were not actually visible to humans, but they were more violent and destructive, and were considered one of the more unpleasant spirits. They were usually the ghosts responsible for the typical creepy haunted houses. They could do things like make noises, flicker lights, move things, and cause things to clatter or rattle unpleasantly,

Beca was just about to turn the page when a fun fact in the bottom corner caught her attention, and her eyes lit up as she realized what it said.

_"Fun Fact: ghosts are able to touch objects in reality by willing themselves to become momentarily solid, temporarily bringing themselves into the existing plain and therefore allowing them to touch real world objects for a short period of time"_

That would explain why Chloe wasn't able to touch things in the real world; she was approaching it the wrong way. A small excited smile went on her face, and she couldn't wait to tell the ghost about it tomorrow.

So interested in her research, and silently rejoicing in her find, she didn't hear Benji come up behind her, jumping when his hand gently touched her shoulder.

"Hey, sorry I startled you," he apologized sheepishly as Beca whirled around to look at him. "I just now realized that coming up behind you would probably be considered a bad idea when you were researching ghosts."

Beca shook her head, a grin forcing it's way onto her face at the boy's silliness. "It's okay. Um, what did you need?"

"I just needed to tell you that we're closing up, so as much as I hate to say it, I need to shoo you out of here," he said, eyes darting down to the book to see where Beca was at.

The brunette furrowed her brows, checking the time on her phone. Her eyes almost bulged out of her skull as she realized it was six o'clock; she had been there for a whole two hours.

"Wow, I didn't even realize it was that late," Beca remarked, putting her phone back in her pocket as she began packing up her laptop.

"I kinda figured, with how absorbed you were in this book," Benji teased. "Time flies when your studying the paranormal. Are you enjoying the book so far?"

Beca nodded. "Yeah, it's actually really cool," she admitted, hesitating before she pointed to the fun fact that she had just discovered. "This is really interesting."

Benji peered at the section she was pointing at, nodding as he read it. "Yeah, it's really cool to think about. Kind of like the ghosts reach into our world like a pocket. It would explain why they can't be seen, because they're still kind of hidden in their alternate plain."

"I always figured ghosts would have to focus on the object, not themselves," Beca commented absentmindedly, remembering what Chloe had told her.

He nodded, chuckling. "I did too, until I read that book."

"How would the author even figure out this kind of stuff?" Beca asked, wondering how factual the book actually was.

Benji shrugged. "Some people say he had actually met a ghost before. Was able to talk to it and stuff. Of course, some people think he's nuts, but I think it's legit. I mean, it's possible, right?"

Beca nodded, grinning cryptically. "Yeah. Totally possible. I mean, I believe it would be, anyway."

He chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, _anything's_ possible, really. Hey, I never got your name by the way."

"Uh, Beca," she responded, giving a grin before picking up the book she had been reading.

"Beca," he repeated, testing the name. "Okay. I'm Benji, but I'm pretty sure you already knew that because of my nametag." He pointed at said nametag for emphasis.

Beca chuckled, nodding. She found Benji, much like Chloe, very refreshing; he didn't judge her because of her withdrawn demeanor and social awkwardness. In fact, he was the exact opposite of what most people were like, and was quite accepting and friendly. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Beca held up the book in her hands. "Can I check this book out?" she asked, pulling her library card out of her back pocket. "I wanna finish reading it."

Benji took the offered book and card from the brunette, nodding enthusiastically with a smile. "Of course you can!" he said. "You know, it's really great to see someone else with such an interest in the paranormal. My friends usually just call this stuff kinda lame, so it's nice to have someone to discuss it with. I've really had fun talking to you," Benji admitted, waiting for Beca to grab her things before leading the girl over to the computer.

Beca gave the boy a small reassuring smile. "Yeah, well to be honest I don't have that many friends, so it was nice talking to you too." He nodded and gave her an understanding smile, checking out the book under her name. After a few clicks and beeps he handed the book and library card back to her.

"There you go. I wanna hear what you think of it when your done, so don't hesitate to hunt me down in the library when you come to return it, okay?" he said, sounding playful but at the same time one hundred percent serious. Beca nodded.

"Sure thing. See you later Benji," she said as she pushed through the doors, sending one last glance over her shoulder at the second friend she had made in twenty-four hours. She found it slightly odd; she was never that good at making friends. However, she wasn't complaining, simply chalking it up to luck. With her mind replaying events of the last two days, she made her way back home, heading straight up to her room when she arrived and flipping open the book she had borrowed.

* * *

**A/N: sorry for the lack of Bechloe in this one; I promise there will be more interaction in the next chapter. There's a bit of Beca and Benji friendship though (Benja? I dunno, no one really ships them), just because Benji is awesome; I feel like those two should have been good friends in the movie, but oh well.**

**The intelligent haunting and poltergeist info is true; I googled those two. The reaching into the real world thing was my made up info though, just cause that kind of info doesn't really exist, but I need it for the fic. Anyway, thanks for all the support! You guys are aca-mazing:3**

**Random question: are you easily scared (like, chicken shit when it comes to ghost stories and horror movies)? I definitely am. I have never watched a horror movie in my whole life, because I know I'm gonna be too terrified to move for two weeks afterward. Don't even respond to this question by telling me about any ghost stories that may have freaked you out, because _that_ will freak me out. No lie. And if you freak me out, then I may be rendered unable to update, and that would just become a lose-lose situation for both of us. So don't do it. Seriously.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You guys are aca-mazing, you know? Whenever I post a chapter for this, my inbox is completely blowing up with reviews, favourites, and follows for days after! It really makes me happy, and I just want to say thanks to everyone reading; love you awesome nerds:3**

**Review responses:**

**Coolerthanadesert: Haha, don't worry, I got kinda freaked out doing the research; I stumbled across a lot creepier stuff than the poltergeist stuff too, and while it was interesting it still freaked me right out xD I can't even watch scary movies period (I always end up covering my eyes) so you're braver than me, at least:3**

**Winkly03: Haha, yeah that is kinda creepy. The ads kinda relate themselves to what you're reading though (so if your reading a fic on a character being pregnant, there might be an ad on baby stuff). I have no idea how it does it, but it's kinda cool. Anyway, here is the next chapter:3**

**LaRibeiro: Your review made me laugh xD I'm glad you still like my fic:) I've never seen Just Like Heaven, so yeah xD Maybe I'll google it later (but after I've finished this fic, since I don't want to accidentally take some of the movie's ideas). I apologize for killing your dream haha; don't cry, maybe it can come back as a spirit:P**

**CH (anon): That always freaks me right out too; it doubles the horror factor of any scary movie. I'm glad you like my fic! Here's the next chapter:D**

**StalkerNinja94: Yeah, fellow non-horror movie watcher! Haha, some things freak people out more than others, so I don't think you've conradicted yourself. Like, I'm a total chicken with everything, except videogames (I can watch people play horror games and I'm completely fine). Here's the next chapter:3**

**mbj2323: Wow, that's an aca-awesome coincidence! Happy Birthday:) My friends like horror movies too, which is kinda annoying because we'll all be walking around at night and they'll start talking about horror movies and I'm just like o.0. Yes, virtual birthday cake! All I've ever wanted in life:D I thank you thusly; here's chapter four!**

**handsup (anon): I dunno if I'll include other characters or not; to be honest, Benji was very impromptu. I hadn't planned on that scene including Benji or the library scene being very big or interesting at all, it just kinda wrote itself that way, you know? So yeah:) I was totally like that as a kid too; I'd freak myself out over the littlest things. Actually, I'm still like that today xD**

**faberryluving: I'm glad you like my fic so much! I'm a total baby when it comes to movies. I'm okay with psychological thrillers and horror videogames, but horror movies I just can't do:I Anyway, here's chapter four:3**

**R41N-bow: Haha well okay then. Foot to you too:P**

**Monya (anon): xD, touch screens: breaking up reviews, one accidental click at a time. That made me laugh:) I'm glad you like my fic so far though! I'll try not to make you cry, no promises though:P Here's the next chapter!**

**If I missed anyone, I apologize; I'm not very organized:/ And thanks to the unnamed guests that reviewed! Your reviews are appreciated too, I just can't reply to them:3**

**DISCLAIMER: Still no, dude.**

* * *

Beca clambered down the stairs quietly, yawning as she headed into the kitchen and popped two pieces of bread into the toaster. She was up an hour earlier than she usually was; the brunette planned to pay a quick visit to Chloe so she could share the information she discovered the day before. Beca had stayed up much later than she was used to last night, intrigued with the information she was finding within the ghost book. Said book was now securely packed in her backpack, discretely hidden behind her other binders and papers.

Becoming impatient, Beca pushed the cancel button on the toaster, causing the two half-toasted pieces to pop up rather loudly. As she was buttering her breakfast she heard a rustling noise from within the living room, and alertness, along with a flash of annoyance crossed her as Ryan tiredly sauntered into the kitchen.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"What are you still doing here?" Beca questioned in response, now glaring intently at her toast as she buttered it.

"Your mother let me crash on the couch for the night, since I wanted to fix things between you and me," he responded.

"You think that's really appropriate? Sleeping over and stuff? Cuz last time I checked, that's not what divorced couples did," the brunette quipped.

"Don't start with the smart ass comments." Ryan sighed, crossing his arms. "You never answered my question either."

"I'm meeting with a friend before school," Beca responded nonchalantly, wiping the crumbs off the counter and into the sink. She was trying to quickly clean up the small mess in hopes of leaving before the conversation went on too much longer, but to her annoyance Ryan stood in front of the fridge as Beca went to return the butter.

"I didn't know you had friends," he said, and Beca only narrowed her eyes in response. "What's this friend's name?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I _do_ have friends. And I'm meeting up with Chloe before school, so if you'll _excuse_ me," Beca retorted, shoving the container of butter into her father's hands. Snatching her toast as she walked past the counter, the brunette didn't even spare Ryan a second glance as she pushed out the front door, popping a piece of toast into her mouth as she went.

* * *

By the time Beca had arrived at the familiar old shed, she had finished her breakfast and calmed down from her argument. Not hesitating in the slightest, the teenager began climbing through the window.

"Chloooooeee," she whisper-yelled, hoping to catch the ghost's attention as she struggled through the window. It was much more difficult with her backpack on, and after a few seconds Beca fell to the mattress below, landing with an ungraceful thud. However, any frustration over her unceremonious entrance was pushed away as she heard Chloe's infectious laughter echo through the shed.

"Jesus Beca, what are you doing? And why are you whispering?" Chloe asked, floating down to her brunette friend. Beca sat up into a sitting position, adjusting her hair quickly.

"I think I might have found the solution to your problem," Beca explained with a grin. A thoughtful look temporarily crossed her face as she added, "and I'm not actually sure why I was whispering."

Chloe chuckled at the girl's antics, shaking her head. "Okay, what problem are you talking about?"

"You not being able to touch stuff! I think I know how to fix it," Beca explained, this time watching as Chloe's face turned serious, vibrant blue eyes widening.

"Wait, w-what? How? Are you serious?" Chloe stuttered out excitedly.

"I'm not fully sure if it'll work, but it's worth a shot," Beca said, not wanting to get the spirit's hopes up if the attempt was unsuccessful. She shrugged her backpack off before pulling it in front of her, unzipping it and pulling out the ghost book. "Okay, so you said whenever you try to touch things you focus on the object itself, right?" Chloe nodded, watching curiously as Beca began quickly flipping pages. "You concentrate on moving the object, and that's all you've really tried, right?"

"Yeah, but what-"

"You've been focusing on the wrong thing, Chlo," Beca said, finally finding the page she was looking for. The page had a few sticky notes on it, all covered in Beca's messy handwriting. "You've been focusing on what's there. But in this case, you need to focus on what's _not_ there."

Chloe furrowed her brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Your hand," Beca said, pointing at Chloe's see-through hand for emphasis. "You need to focus on it; will it to become tangible. That way you'll be able to touch and move things."

Chloe lifted her hands up, looking at them thoughtfully as she chewed her lip. Would she be able to do that? Beca sounded so confident in her newfound knowledge, but what if she was wrong? The redhead felt doubt cloud her mind; after all, she _had_ been trying it for a long time, would the solution really be that simple?

As Chloe processed the new information Beca reached into her bag, pulling out a small green ball and placing it on the mattress between them. "Here," she said, her encouraging eyes meeting Chloe's unsure ones, "try moving this."

"What if I can't?" Chloe asked hesitantly. "What if it doesn't work?"

Beca tilted her head, shrugging. "Never know unless you try."

Staring thoughtfully into Beca's confident eyes, Chloe realized that the teenager was right. Nodding, Chloe took a deep breath as she moved her hand over the ball. Nothing happened at first, and her fingers whisped right through it. Closing her eyes, the redhead began to concentrate, imagining her hand becoming solid. Beca watched on worriedly, holding her breath in anticipation. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Chloe scrunched her eyes up, tightening her focus as she willed her hand tangible. Still nothing.

Just when she was about to give up, a sudden smooth object came into contact with her fingers for a short second, and the ghost heard Beca gasp before a thumping noise was heard. Opening her eyes, Chloe quickly took in the sight of Beca, who had an astonished grin on her face. The redhead then glanced down to where the ball had been, only to see nothing. Peering around, her breath hitched in her throat when she saw it had fallen off the mattress and was now slowly rolling away. It collided with the wall, bouncing back slightly as it came to a stop. Chloe turned to look at Beca again, eyes wide.

"Did I just...?"

Beca nodded excitedly. "Uh huh, you did it! I'm so proud of you Chlo, I knew you could do it."

A big grin grew onto the ghost's face, and she began floating upwards in excitement. "I can't believe it... I-I actually did it!" she gushed. Letting out a cheer, Chloe swirled around in the air happily, doing loops and cartwheels around the rafters. Beca watched on with a smile, giggling at the cheerful and energetic phantom. Hearing the laugh, Chloe's grin only grew wider, and she flew back down to Beca, hovering closely in front of her.

"Thank you so much, Beca, you have no idea how much this means to me," Chloe gushed. Her eyes lingered on Beca's face for a few seconds before she admitted in a soft voice, "I really wish I could hug you right now."

Beca gave Chloe a sincere smile. "I'm glad I was able to help," she said, her eyes glancing over at the ball on the floor. "To be honest I wasn't sure if it was working at first, because nothing was happening."

Chloe crossed her legs and levitated at eye level with Beca, peering over at the ball as well. "I wasn't sure if it would either. It _does_ take quite a bit of concentration, but I think if I practice enough I'll be able to master it." The ghost's eyes, glowing with excitement, turned back to meet the brunette's, and Beca absentmindedly wondered how Chloe was still able to take her breath away by simply making eye contact. "I can't believe you were able to help me figure it out," the redhead continued, oblivious to the hitch in Beca's breath. "How did you find out what I was doing wrong?"

Beca held up the book, pointing at the small paragraph where the information was held. "I did some research and found this. The author of this book apparently met a ghost too, so he was able to get all this information and stuff. It's actually pretty cool."

Chloe smiled as she read the paragraph, feeling touched that Beca had bothered to do some research because of her. "Your amazing, you know that Becs?"

Beca gave a toothy grin in response. "I know, I'm awesome."

Chloe let out a chime of laughter as she moved her arm to swat at Beca's leg. Her hand phased right through it, but it made Beca shiver, which Chloe figured would be equivalent to a light smack on the leg. "And cocky," the readhead said teasingly, smirking playfully. The brunette only shrugged, grinning in response.

The school bell suddenly went off across the football field, and both girls sobered up as Beca pulled out her phone, eyes widening as she took in the time.

"Shit, I've gotta go. I'm gonna be late for school," Beca said hurriedly, standing as she shoved the book back into her backpack and zipped it up. "You can keep that green ball if you want. That way you have something you can practice moving things with."

"When are you gonna be back?" Chloe asked, watching as Beca slipped her backpack on. She really enjoyed the small brunette's company, more and more so with each encounter; Beca's visits were easily the highlight of Chloe's day.

Beca hoisted herself onto the window ledge. "Um, I can drop by after school if that's okay."

"Definitely!" Chloe smiled. Beca cast a grin in the redhead's direction.

"Okay, I'll see you then," she said before dropping to the ground below. "Bye Chlo!" she called through the window.

"Bye Becs!" Chloe responded, smile still plastered on her face as she listened to the teenager's fading footsteps. Once she could no longer hear Beca, the ghost's eyes slowly drifted to the green ball. "C'mere you," she playfully jeered at the rubber object, grinning as she floated over to practice the new skill Beca had taught her.

* * *

"Hello, you've reached the office of Barden High School, how may I be of help?" a feminine voice chirped over the phone; Ryan could recognize the voice from his days working at the school. He readjusted the phone against his ear, holding it with one hand as his other fiddled with a nearby pen.

"Hello Linda, this is Mr. Mitchell calling. Is Beca Mitchell still at the school? She hasn't come home yet," he said. Over an hour had passed since school had ended for the day, and Beca still hadn't returned home.

"Oh hello Ryan. I'm sorry but Beca left at the end of school," the receptionist responded.

"Oh... Okay," he said, sighing. He was about to hang up when another thought crossed his mind. "Is there a Chloe still at the school by any chance?"

A few tapping sounds were heard as the woman searched the computer. "I'm sorry Ryan, but no one by the name of Chloe goes to this school," she responded. Ryan froze, brows furrowing. Was Beca trying to mess with his head?

"Okay, well thanks anyways Linda," he said slowly, barely hearing a goodbye in response before he hung up.

* * *

**A/N: I think this chapter's a bit awkward, but I dunno. I'm having a bunch of different ideas for this fic, and a lot of trouble sorting said thoughts. I think I'm doing pretty good so far though, so I'm content at the moment:3**

**Random question: are you an early riser? Or a night owl? I'm definitely a night owl. I can stay up until four on some nights, and then I'll sleep in until noon if I can. People who can willingly wake up before noon baffle me (in a good way, props to those kind of people, because I am definitely not one of them:3) What about you?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hai:3 Thanks for all the love! You guys are aca-awesome:D**

**Review responses:**

**R41N-bow: You are by far my most random reviewer; I like it xD I would definitely choose wings; I suck at swimming. Oh, and apple to you too:P**

**reading-is-my-love: I usually stay away from that kind of stuff too; I'm glad my fic fascinates you tho! Hopefully it continues to do so:3**

**StalkerNinja94: I'm glad you thought it was cute:3 I can hardly function without sleep either, which sucks when you're a shipper, really xD**

**TAS (anon): Glad you're liking it so far! I will keep going:3**

**Awkward Penguin: Omg haha, what if the mermaid has legs at one point? Like in The Little Mermaid? Though I suppose their leg flexibility would still suck, cuz they're used to a tail. I'm getting off topic. Glad you liked the chapter:D**

**Katie Reid: Aww, thank you so much! I'm glad you like it so far! Your review made me smile:D How the heck do you function on such little sleep? Haha, I need at least 8 hours or I'm completely useless. Props to you xD**

**BG-13: If you don't like him now, you're gonna hate him after this chapter:3**

**JeeJ: I'm glad you like the fic and my writing style! I'll try my best to keep your interest:3**

**Coolerthanthedesert: Haha, I think you'll know what to think of Beca's dad by the end of this chapter:P As for hugging, Chloe's still struggling with the skill, but maybe later on in the fic; you'll have to wait and see:3**

**romeothewriter: I think I already responded to you, but thanks:3 I get tired of all the fics that follow the plotline too; they just get too predictable. I'm glad you like my fic so far; hopefully I can keep your interest, but I can't update nearly as fast as you so you'll have to be patient with me:P**

**DISCLAIMER: I just. Don't.**

* * *

"Where've you been," a voice called out as soon as Beca slipped through the door. Raising her brow, the brunette turned to see her dad enter from the living room.

"I was with Chloe," She responded, her defenses instantly rising as she saw the disapproving look her dad was giving her.

"Do you know something I don't?" he shot out quickly.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "Not everything is about you, believe it or not."

"The school receptionist said there's no_ Chloe_ at Barden High."

Beca's breath caught as she tensed, but she made sure not to make any physical notion that his statement had caught her off guard. "She's home schooled," she explained simply.

"I thought you said you were walking to school together this morning," he retorted, tilting his head with the question.

"I said I was going to _see_ her this morning," she corrected, narrowing her eyes at the interrogation. "And that's where I was now for that matter. She lives near the school so I just went by her house when school ended."

"For _four_ hours?" he questioned incredulously. "Why didn't you call or anything?"

"Well, I texted mom and she said it was okay," she retorted, rolling her eyes. "Maybe if you hadn't chased her out of her own home-"

"Your mother's just been out all day," Ryan interrupted, crossing his arms. "She said she had things to do. I had nothing to do with it."

Beca laughed humorlessly at this. "You did so. Are you really that naive? She didn't have anything planned today, she just didn't want to be stuck in this house all day with you. It would be super awkward, and you're supposed to be divorced, remember? Now why don't you go home already?" She brushed past him, moving to head up the stairs.

"Why do you have such a problem with me?" he huffed out in frustration. She stopped her ascent, pausing.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she sneered.

"Rebeca Jade Mitchell, you watch your mouth!"

She whirled to face him, ignoring his reprimand. "Why did you leave me there, that day?" she spat, asking the question she'd always wondered but never had the guts to ask.

His eyes narrowed. "I don't know what your talking about."

"Don't pull that with me," she snapped. "We made _eye contact_ for crap's sake. I'm sick of this. You treating me like I'm an over dramatic teenager for no reason, but that day was a pretty big deal to me. Why did you do it?"

"I don't know," he ground out forcefully. Beca wasn't having it this time.

"They were yelling all these nasty things to me and actually _physically_ hurting me, and you did absolutely nothing! How do you not know?!" she growled, losing the last of her calm demeanor.

"I just don't know, okay?!" his voice rose to meet hers.

"I'm your_ daughter!_ You couldn't even be bothered to stop and break everything up?!"

"It's more complicated than that!"

"Just tell me what it is?!"

"Beca-"

"TELL ME!"

"BECAUSE YOU NEEDED SOME SENSE KNOCKED INTO YOU!" he burst out, finally exploding with the truth. The air washed out of her lungs, almost like the sentence inflicted physical pain on her body; she knew exactly what he meant by the statement. It was the truth she'd always wondered, but now that she knew, she wished so much that she didn't. She almost couldn't believe what he just said, and the backs of her eyes bagan to burn with tears.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered out, breathless from all the yelling.

Ryan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You had just come out to your mom and I the week before, and even though I greatly disapproved I couldn't just go and say it. Then the kids became more vicious to you when you came out, and I hoped that maybe it would change your mind about being gay. I thought that if you saw how unaccepted homosexuality was, and how much pain it would cause you, that you would go back to being straight like you're supposed to be."

Beca couldn't hide her tears anymore. "Well it didn't work, because even after years of torment I'm still as gay as ever," she said in a detached voice, her eyes remaining locked with his in defiance. "The only difference is that now, you've lost any chance of forgiveness from me."

"Beca, you've gotta see that homosexuality isn't natural. I only wanted what was best for-"

"Don't even_ finish_ that sentence!" Beca burst out angrily, now way past her breaking point. "You didn't give a shit about me, you only cared about yourself! And you call yourself my dad. Well _FUCK YOU_!" With that she turned, running up the stairs as best she could with her blurred vision. She bolted into her room an slammed the door, finally letting herself completely break down as she slid to the floor and sobbed. How could he be so cruel? She wished she had never pushed to find out the truth, but at least now she knew her dad's true colours.

Ryan called her from downstairs, and the brunette cursed him in her head as she heard his feet begin climbing the stairs slowly. Her tears were still fast and unrelenting, her breath was catching uncontrollably with her sobs, and whimpers were escaping her throat with each exhale, but she knew she couldn't stand another confrontation with him. Hell, she never wanted to see him again. She forced herself to her feet, hurriedly tossing all her stuff onto her bed. Through her hysterics she was able to move to the side of her dresser and maneuver it in front of her door. Seconds after she pushed it into place she heard him jiggle the doorknob, and the door thumped against the back of the dresser.

"Dammit Beca, get out here! I just wanna talk!" he called through the crack.

"Screw you," the teenager bit back, voice cracking as she wiped her face with her sleeves. It was futile, as she was still crying hysterically and fresh tears were still streaming down her face.

"Beca, move this dresser right now!" Ryan thumped the door against the dresser a few more times, but this time the piece of furniture slid a few inches forward. Unexplainable panic shot through Beca, and she ran to her window, forcing it open. Now being a pro at climbing through windows, Beca slunk out onto the roof with ease, but hearing a crash, the brunette turned her blurry eyes to see Ryan standing angrily in the doorway, dresser tipped over onto the floor.

"Beca get in here right now!" he called, running toward the window.

"Go away," she responded, her voice sounding raw. Ryan stopped at the windowsill, and realizing he was about to climb out the window, Beca looked around frantically for an escape. Stalking near the edge of the roof, she was only able to spot a tree branch a few feet down, but Ryan was already hoisting himself up at an alarmingly quick pace. Determining she had no other option, she quickly wiped her eyes again before leaping off the roof.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ryan yelled in confusion, pulling himself quickly through the window. With his distracting hollers and her overly emotional state, Beca barely made the jump, catching the branch with her hands and scrambling to pull herself up and regain her balance.

"Leave me alone!" she spat exasperatedly. Searching for her next plan of action, Beca dreadfully realized there were no other branches below, and while the branch she was on did bring her a bit closer to the ground, it wasn't nearly close enough to safely jump to the ground. However, seeing Ryan gain his footing on the roof, Beca looked back at the ground with resolve, bracing herself before she leapt down.

Pain flared violently through her legs as her feet hit the ground, and her left ankle gave out beneath her with a sharp pang. A strangled cry escaped her throat, but she slowly forced herself to her feet, ignoring her body's protests. Once Beca regained her footing she broke out into a run, casting one last glance over her shoulder to see Ryan standing on the rooftop calling her name. She ignored the man, and she let her tears fall harder as she ran, her feet absentmindedly led her in a familiar direction.

* * *

Chloe pouted in frustration as the ball rolled away once again, coming to a stop a few feet away. She had been at it all day, and she still wasn't able to hold or touch anything for more than a second. She was about to shout angry curse words at the innocent looking green ball when a sound caught her attention from outside, and she looked up just in time to see Beca hoisting herself onto the ledge.

"Beca!" she chirped. "What are you doing here? You just left like a few minutes-..." the redhead trailed off, seeing the tears and anguish on Beca's face. The brunette struggled off the ledge, landing rather ungracefully onto the mattress below and collapsing into a fit of sobs. The ghost approached quickly, rather alarmed at how hysterical Beca was when she had been fine when she left only minutes ago. What had happened in that short amount of time?

"Becs, sweetie, what's wrong?" Chloe asked softly. Beca only shook her head, unable to speak through her sobs as she buried her face in her arms. Realizing the teenager didn't want to talk, the redhead moved her hand to Beca's back, waiting silently for Beca to calm down. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here, I'll protect you. Shh, it's okay," Chloe cooed quietly. Though her hand phased right through her back, the chilling feeling and the redhead's words seemed to comfort the distraught brunette as her sobs began to slow. Chloe waited patiently, watching her friend with concern and sympathy; she hated that she couldn't take the teenager into her arms and comfort her. She wanted to hold Beca close and make her forget about whatever was hurting her, but alas, she couldn't. Instead, all she could do was watch the brunette cry and whisper comforting things; it made her feel completely helpless, but nothing could be done.

Eventually Beca's crying slowly ceased, her sobs and whimpers replacing themselves with hiccups and sniffles. After a few more minutes her breathing finally calmed, and she wearily eased herself upward. Chloe moved back slightly to let her do so, removing her hand from Beca's back. The brunette wiped her face off with her sleeves, sniffling once more before her eyes shifted up to Chloe. The ghost's heart reached out to the girl before her. She looked so small and lost, and her puppy dog eyes were red and watery with sadness; it was a vulnerability that she had never been on Beca before, and she didn't like witnessing her friend like this one bit.

Seeing Chloe watching her with concern and questioning, and Beca sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Sorry," she mumbled quietly, her voice raw.

The ghost furrowed her brows. "You have nothing to be sorry for, it's okay," Chloe said reassuringly. "Whatever's bothering you, whatever happened, I'm here. Whether you decide to talk about it or not."

Beca nodded gratefully, gazing downward. "Thanks Chlo," she said weakly, moving to cross her legs. However, a sudden grimace flashed across her face, and she hissed in pain.

"What? Are you okay?" Chloe asked quickly, floating closer.

"I... My ankle," Beca ground out, holding the aforementioned body part tenderly.

"Here, let me see," Chloe said gently, moving her hands over Beca's to encourage her to move them. The brunette did so hesitantly, and the redhead's eyes widened at the redness and swelling of Beca's ankle.

"Ouch, that doesn't look good. Looks like a sprain, maybe even a fracture," Chloe said, her eyes lacing with concern as she looked up to meet Beca's eyes. "What happened to it?"

"I jump out of a tree," Beca explained lamely, blushing at the odd look Chloe was giving her. Shaking her head, the ghost looked back down at the brunette's injury, placing her hands on it. Beca let out a sigh of relief as she felt to cold sensation taking over her ankle.

"That feels nice," Beca mumbled, and Chloe smiled. "Thanks."

"I remember one time, when I was alive, I hurt myself from falling from a tree," Chloe started randomly. The redhead was trying to take Beca's mind off her injury and whatever else was bothering her, and from the intrigued look on the brunette's face it was working. "My brother and I were playing outside and I saw a really cool bird's nest. I wanted to see inside it, but when I got up there, the mother bird got extremely mad and started squawking at me. I freaked out and fell off the branch I was on, and I ended up fracturing my arm and getting this scar," the redhead finished her story by pointing to a small scar on her forehead. Beca smiled weakly, easily picturing Chloe as an overly curious child. Her eyes went to the ghost's scar, and she lifted her hand to lightly trace the scar, her finger phasing through.

"I think it's cute," Beca said with a shy grin, and Chloe chuckled, happy she was able to get Beca's mind off her problems.

"Well thank you. You're very sweet," Chloe grinned. Beca blushed, removing her hand from Chloe's scar and lowering her eyes as she began playing with her fingers. The redhead only grinned wider at this. "You're adorable when you're nervous," she said teasingly. Beca's eyes flew up to Chloe's, her face turning even redder.

"Um, thank you?" the teenager squeaked unsurely.

"And you're cute when you blush," Chloe added with a wink, enjoying Beca's flustered state.

"I-I'm not blushing," she stuttered out, covering her face with her hands. Chloe only laughed, deciding she had teased the brunette enough.

"Calm down, Becs. You get worked up way too easily," the ghost said, moving her fingers from the injured ankle to Beca's hands. She ghosted them over the brunette's fingers gently, and Beca slowly moved them away from her face, eyes taking in Chloe's sweet smile before connecting with her bright blue princess eyes. She offered up a lopsided, goofy grin, and the redhead chuckled as she moved her face closer to Beca's, once again wishing more than anything that she could touch the teenager, hold her, hug her, anything.

Their moment was interrupted when music flickered on in the distance. Chloe grinned excitedly, peering up at the window.

"That's the guy that lives across the street, with the radio!" Chloe explained. "Before you came along, it was all I had to look forward to. I absolutely love music."

Beca grinned, carefully moving away from Chloe. The two rose, Beca a bit slower due to her ankle, and the brunette rested her arms on the windowsill as the two peered outside. "I love music too. I actually like to make remixes and mash ups of different songs in my spare time. I'm hoping to become a DJ when I get older."

"Oh my gosh, really?! That's so cool, Beca!" Chloe gushed, turning her attention from the window to the young DJ. "You should play me some of your mixes sometime!"

"Definitely," Beca nodded, grinning at the enthusiastic way Chloe was looking at her. Her gaze shifted back outside, looking at the house across the way. Suddenly her eyes narrowed as she leaned forward slightly. "Hey, I know that guy."

"What guy? Him?" Chloe asked, pointing at the teenager sitting on his deck next to the radio. Beca nodded.

"Yeah, that's Benji. He works at the library. He was there when I went looking for information on ghosts, and he was actually a really big help. He has a huge interest in the paranormal," Beca explained.

"You should bring him by sometime so I can meet him. I bet he'd go crazy over meeting an actual ghost," Chloe said, grinning.

Beca nodded her head. "Yeah, maybe," she said. The song that was playing came to an end, and both girls grinned widely as they heard the familiar notes of Titanium come on.

"I love this song!" Chloe gushed, floating around happily. Beca laughed.

"I know, you told me," she said. The redhead giggled, starting to sing along as the first verse began. Beca silently marveled at Chloe's beautiful singing voice, smiling as she joined in. The ghost's eyes snapped to her excitedly.

"You can sing!"

Beca giggled. "I'm aware."

The two broke out singing again, going full out as they laughed and goofed around. Their voices meshed together perfectly, and they kept going as different songs came and went. At one point 'Chloe' by Emblem 3 came on, and Chloe fell into a fit of giggles as Beca pretended to serenade her, using an old paintbrush she had found as a microphone. They soon began trying to outdo each other, unspokenly competing to see who could make the other laugh harder, and for that night both girls completely forgot about all of their troubles as they laughed and danced.

* * *

**A/N: Urgh. Some parts of this chapter just would _not _flow. I apologize for that; I tried my hardest.**

**Random question: what song reminds you of Bechloe? I have so many. Right now, I'm listening to Boyce Avenue's versions of Titanium and Just The Way You Are. You should go check him out; he's aca-mazing:3**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: DON'T. KILL. ME. I'm so sorry I'm late with this chapter; I went through a bit of a rough spot. I really didn't full out plan this fic before I started, and I had kinda written myself into a corner, but I've worked it out now:3 Hopefully this chapter doesn't suck too bad. Mehhhh.**

**Just want to say that you guys recommended some completely awesome songs; I listened to all of them, and I thank you guys for informing me of their existence:3**

**Review responses:**

**romeothewriter: lol, you're blunt thoughts for Beca's dad amused me to no end xD Glad you liked that chapter; here's the next one (finally xD)**

**R41N-bow: Oh wow, this song is amazing :o Thank you for telling me about it:3 I would have to say a blue orange, because blue is awesome and I hate bananas. P.S. YOU STARTED IT MR. RAINBOW MA'AM!**

**Coolerthanadesert: Glad you liked the Bechloe moments (and show your open distaste for Beca's dad xD)! And I quite like Benji too; he's so dorky and sweet:3 Sorry to keep you waiting; here's chapter six (I think it's chapter six...)!**

**BG-13: I agree! Homophobes just boil my blood. Glad you hate him though; that means I'm doing my writing properly;3**

**AlwaysChn: I know, Boyce Avenue is just overall awesome! I love his version of teenage dream too:3 Glad you liked the chapter too. Here's the next one; hopefully you like it too:)**

**handsup (anon): Haha thanks, at least I know I'm writing them well enough to portray that;P I didn't even realize the ones that I had mentioned were just different versions of Pitch Perfect songs xD There's a lot of other Boyce Avenue songs that remind me of Bechloe too, like Teenage Dream and A Thousand Years, I just happened to be listening to Just The Way You Are and Titanium as I was writing the last chapter, so they were in my head:P That's an awesome song btw, thanks for telling me about it:D**

**The Sinking Ships: I know what you mean:/ some heteros just don't understand. Awesome song btw, thanks for telling me about it:D**

**owlbeaks: Glad you like it so far! Here's chapter six; hopefully you like it too:3**

**DISCLAIMER: *sighs deeply and exasperatedly in your face because I have to say this once again*. I don't own Pitch Perfect. What a surprise! I was not expecting that:o**

* * *

"You did what?!" Danielle screeched angrily, glaring daggers at her ex-husband. Ryan sighed, running his hand through his short hair as he averted his eyes.

"I didn't think she'd react that way," he explained feebly.

"Oh? And how the hell did you think she would react? Did you think she would be fine with it, all rainbows and butterflies, and everything would be back to normal?" Danielle hissed back bitterly. She had arrived home later that night to find Ryan cursing under his breath, pacing in the kitchen as he held the house phone to his ear, and Beca's room in complete disarray. Having no other way to explain what had occurred, Ryan was forced to tell what taboo event had happened between Beca and himself long ago, as well as what had gone down that night. Needless to say Danielle wasn't very happy, especially when she learned Beca had run off without her phone and had yet to come back.

"No! I don't know what I expected! I was angry, and... Danielle, I think she's up to something," he explained insistingly, narrowing his eyes. "She's been out a lot lately, saying she's with this girl named-"

"Ryan, I think you should leave. _Now_."

"Danielle, she's plotting something. Did you tell-"

"**_Don't_**," she ground out stonily, interrupting him. "My daughter is wandering about somewhere out there, emotionally distraught and without her cell phone, and I cannot think of one other place that she would feel safe enough to go. I have no idea where she is, no idea if she's okay or not, and you have the _decency_ to turn it around on her? You're an asshole, Ryan Mitchell, and I wouldn't blame her if she never wanted to speak to you again. I'm not even sure if _I_ ever want to see you again. Now I think you should leave. You are no longer welcome here."

Ryan lowered his head at her icy tone, tightening his jaw. "Fine," he grumbled steely after a few seconds of tense silence, not sparing a second glance at the angry mother as he turned on his heel and left.

* * *

Navy blue eyes sluggishly opened to the morning sun beaming through the window, and Beca let out a tired yawn as she stretched. Her face felt stiff, and it took a few seconds for her to realize she was_ definitely_ not in her room.

"Good morning!"

Beca jumped at the voice, turning quickly to see who had spoken. Unfortunately, she was already on the edge of the mattress, and she ended up rolling off with a small thud.

"Whuh...?" was all she was able to mumble through her confusion. A familiar giggle rang through her ears, and she lifted her head to see Chloe floating up between the rafters. Memories of the day before came flooding back, and she absentmindedly wondered how much of a mess her make-up was as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Are you coherent yet?" Chloe asked jokingly, lowering herself in front of Beca. The brunette rubbed her eyes tiredly, groaning as her back muscles flared in pain.

"That mattress is complete crap," she muttered, glaring at said object as she rubbed her back. Her stare was broken by another yawn, and her gaze flickered back to an amused-looking Chloe. "When did I fall asleep?"

"A little bit after our jam session," the redhead answered, smiling faintly at the memory. "You laid down on the mattress because your ankle was bothering you, and the next thing I know you're snoring."

Beca's face turned red at this. "I don't snore!"

"Oh you do! And you talk in your sleep," Chloe responded in a teasing tone. Of course, the brunette's snores were more of a heavy breathing more than anything, but she enjoyed teasing her friend. The redhead was being truthful about the sleep talking though; when Beca had first muttered in her sleep, Chloe had floated down to see if she was awake. To her surprise, the DJ was still fast asleep, and the ghost found herself quite amused at some of the things Beca had muttered in her slumber.

Beca groaned in embarrassment at the mention of this. Her mom had informed her many times that she spoke in her sleep, and often teased her about the ridiculous things that would leave her mouth. "What did I say?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"You mumbled a bunch of random things all night," Chloe said, giggling. "My personal favourite was '_shit, the forks are rebelling!_'" Chloe explained, trying to contain her laughter as she spoke the quote in the same manner Beca had. "You know, you're actually quite entertaining when you're asleep."

Beca put her face in her hands. "At least I know why you asked if I was coherent when I woke up," she mumbled, a grin forcing it's way onto her face at Chloe's infectious laughter. "Stop laughing at me," Beca said with a giggle, jutting out her lower lip.

"Oh c'mon," Chloe chuckled at the brunette's antics. "You've got it admit it's a_ little_ funny."

Beca gave a lopsided grin, rolling her eyes. "Okay, it's a little funny," she said, giving in.

"Just a little?" Chloe asked teasingly. Beca stuck her tongue out at the ghost in response, and Chloe only grinned innocently, shrugging.

After a few moments of light-hearted silence, Beca's playful look turned to one of curiosity. "So, did you sleep at all then? Do ghosts sleep?"

"Nope," Chloe responded, shaking her head. "I don't need sleep. I'm not even sure if I'm capable of it. I just kinda... Exist. No food, water or rest needed."

Beca pursed her lips. "That must get boring," she said softly.

Chloe shrugged. "Try a few years of it. All alone, can't do or touch anything. It gets _insanely_ boring."

Beca looked at the redhead sympathetically, her eyes drifting around the foul cluttered shed; the filthy closed-in surroundings Chloe was probably sick of seeing.

"That's why I was so excited when you popped in for the first time," Chloe said, snapping Beca out of her musings. "Again, I'm sorry I scared you," she said sheepishly, remembering the guilt she had felt at seeing the small brunette's terror that day.

"Pfft, I wasn't _that_ scared," Beca said, rolling her eyes.

"You were curled up into a ball, cowering on the floor. Pretty sure you were terrified," Chloe teased lightly.

"Well... Shut up," Beca mumbled, blushing. Chloe only smiled at the DJ's response. Beca gave a shy lopsided grin, but it faded as she remembered what they had been talking about before. "Chlo?"

"Hmm?"

"What if I helped you get out of here?"

To her surprise Chloe shook her head quickly. "Oh, no. I couldn't ask you to do that Becs."

"Why not?"

"Because in order to get me out of here, my death needs to be avenged. My murderer would have to be either jailed or killed, and I can't ask you to do either of those. Especially since I have no idea if he's still in Barden or not. For all I know he could be in Alaska now," the ghost explained.

"But what if I want to help you?" Beca said, scooting closer to the ghost and placing her hand over Chloe's intangible one. The redhead glanced down at Beca's hand, a sense of longing washing over her as she saw the brunette's hand hovering over hers. She took a small breath, focusing on willing her hand to touch Beca's. She felt her cool hand come in contact with Beca's warm one, and she was barely able to feel the comforting sense of the DJ's hand covering hers before her hand became intangible once again, leaving her with a sense of coldness and hollowness. Sighing in frustration of her failed attempt, Chloe turned her head away in shame.

"I appreciate it Beca, but my answer's still no," the ghost mumbled, feeling the teenager's eyes watching her.

"But Chlo-"

"Look, I just don't want you to get hurt or in trouble for me. We don't even know where he is, and it could cause way too much trouble," the redhead explained. She couldn't imagine how she would feel if Beca were to get hurt or killed because of her; she could deal with a bit of boredom and loneliness if it meant keeping the little DJ safe.

Beca was silent for a second before letting out a breath. "Okay, I'll drop it for now. I will get you out of here though," she said insistingly. Chloe only gave a weak smile in response, knowing there was no use arguing with the teenager.

The school bell could suddenly went off in the distance, and Beca's eyes widened. "Shit, what time is it?" she asked, jumping to her feet. However, her ankle, which she had completely forgotten about, gave out beneath her, and she fell back onto the mattress behind her with a grunt.

Chloe quickly floated to her side. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just forgot about my crap ankle for a second," the brunette responded with a sigh, nursing her ankle as she reached into her pocket. The redhead didn't hesistate as she reached out, phasing her hands through the ankle to chill the injury. Feeling the instant relief, Beca gave her a grateful look. "Thanks," she mumbled, still feeling in her pocket. After finding nothing, she searched her other pockets. "Dammit," she muttered.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked, shifting her eyes up to Beca's face.

"I must've left my phone at home," she said with a sigh, running a hand through her hair. "My mom's probably freaking out. And now I have no way to tell what time it is."

"So I suppose you have to leave then?" Chloe asked with a crestfallen tone, pouting.

"I probably should," Beca started, her eyes connecting with Chloe's disheartened ones, "but I don't want to."

The redhead perked up at this. "So you're not leaving yet?"

"I'm not ready to go back to the real world yet," the brunette explained softly, shrugging. "And," she shyly averted her eyes, "I like it here with you."

A giant smile spread itself across Chloe's face, the one that Beca found completely stunning every time she saw it. "Well good," the ghost gushed, watching as the DJ mirrored her giddy smile, "cuz I like it when you're here with me."

* * *

Beca slowly limped down the sidewalk, dreading her mother's reaction as she began to near her house. She had been gone for a lot longer than she had intended, but she had easily lost track of time with no phone on her and Chloe's company to distract her. The sun's light was painting the sky in a brilliant array of oranges and purples, and she smiled faintly as she remembered Chloe raving about the beautiful sunset as Beca had been slipping out the window.

Her smile dropped as she neared her house, and she cautiously peered around the property for her dad's red truck. Only seeing her mother's small blue car she relaxed, a breath of relief leaving her tense body. The tired DJ slowly made her way up the steps, holding tightly on the rails as she hobbled up each step. Reaching the top, she took a deep breath, preparing for her mother's rage before slipping quietly through the door.

To her surprise, nobody was there when she entered, and she peered into the living room and the kitchen only to find them empty as well. Carefully making her way up the stairs, she internally groaned as she saw her dresser tipped over in her doorway, reminding her of the events that had taken place the night before. Navigating her way over the mess, she stepped carefully into her bedroom. Steadying her footing, her eyes shifted up to survey the damage to her room, but instead her gaze shifted to her bed as she noticed the figure on it. After further analysis she realized it was her mom, fast asleep on top of the covers. She was curled up with her back to the DJ, and as the brunette moved closer she saw her mom was holding Beca's cell phone in one hand and the house phone in the other. Her make up streaks made it obvious that she had been crying, and the teenager felt a pang of guilt seeing how much her mother had worried.

"Mom?" she called out. The woman roused from her sleep, eyes settling on the nervous girl before her eyes widened and she shot out of the bed.

"Beca!" she said with relief, her eyes taking in the DJ's favored leg and make up tracks before enveloping her daughter in a tight hug. Tears sprang from Danielle's eyes as she pressed her lips to the crown of Beca's hair, inhaling the teenager's familiar scent. "Oh baby girl, I'm so glad you're okay," she whimpered out, nuzzling her nose in her daughter's hair. "I was so worried about you, that I'd never see you again. Your dad told me everything, and I booted him out right away, and I'm so sorry I tried to pressure you into forgiving him. If I would have known what he had done I never would've-" a sob ripped through Danielle's throat, cutting her rambling short as she hugged Beca tighter to her chest. The younger girl felt her own tears well up as she slowly wound her arms around her mom, realizing just how much her mother loved and cared for her.

"I'm sorry I made you worry," she mumbled into her mother's shirt, sniffling as a few tears leaked out. Her mom noticed this, placing a kiss on the DJ's forehead.

"Honey, it's gonna be okay," Danielle said, taking Beca's face in her hands as she tried to sound more reassuring. "You're gonna be fine. I'll make sure that homophobic asshole doesn't bother you anymore. You're gonna be fine, we're gonna be fine. Please don't cry baby."

Beca laughed through her tears, looking up at her mom. "You stop crying first."

"I can't," Danielle chuckled back, pulling her daughter back in for a hug. "I'm just so glad you're alive."

Beca rested her head on her mom's shoulder, enjoying the feeling of her mother's comforting arms. She felt completely loved, and that warm feeling, along with the stress of the past couple of days seemed to overwhelm her as she completely broke down in Danielle's arms, gripping the older woman's shirt in her fists as she cried in her mother's warm embrace.

"I love you, mom," she whimpered out, barely distinguishable through her raw voice.

"I know sweetie," Danielle responded in a voice barely above a whisper, stroking her daughter's hair gently as she allowed Beca to cry in her arms. "And I know I don't say it enough, but I love you too."

* * *

**A/N: Thought a warm family scene would be a good way to end this. Sorry for taking so long to update; hopefully this chapter wasn't complete crap to you. Tell me what you thought:3**

**P.S. Whenever I read over this, I would always yawn when Beca was first waking up and yawning. And it was mildy annoying. Cuz y'know, thinking about yawning or seeing the word usually makes you want to yawn and stuff. Did it make any of you yawn, or is that just me? Hell, rereading this paragraph is probably gonna make me yawn. Yup, it did. Gammit... I'm rambling, I'm sorry:I**

**Random question: what's your favourite food? I'm very hungry right now:3 I love BBQ ribs *swoon*. And pizza; can't go wrong with pizza. I also enjoy chicken soup with vinegar. Ohhh, grilled cheese sandwiches:D (Gammit, this isn't helping my hunger in the slightest. Uhhhhhhhh Dx)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm. So. Sorry. Again. I didn't mean for it to take this long, but I added something extra into here, which threw the rest of my plans out of whack. Plus, I've been super busy getting ready for a vacation, but now that I'm actually on vacation I have some time to post this. Though it certainly wasn't easy, because the internet doesn't seem to want to work for me, so it keeps connecting and disconnecting (conveniently when I hit submit on this fricking chapter). Ah frustrations of the worst kind. This chapter's longer than usual though, if that's any consolation:3**

**Review responses:**

**Coolerthanadesert: Haha it's okay, I find your annoyance toward Beca's father quite amusing xP Glad you liked the chapter btw! Here's the next one:3**

**Blakchloe: Haha I dunno, you'll have to wait and see:P**

**owlbeaks: Haha glad you like my fic so much:D Don't cry! Here's the next chapter to make you feel better:3**

**LovatoLove1996: Hey, glad you like my fic so far:) I'm planning on about four more chapters (including this one), but I'm not 100 percent sure yet; we'll have to see where my writing takes me xP Anyways, thanks for the lovely review! Here's the next chapter:3**

**Brookster27: I don't remember if I replied to you or not, so I'm just gonna do it again xD Thanks for reviewing; glad you like my fic so far! Don't worry, I think Ryan's an asshole too;P Aaand here's the next chapter; sorry to keep you waiting!**

**Librabelieber: So glad to see you like my fic so far! Thanks for the lovely reviews:) I don't think I'll ever like horror movies (they just aren't my thing, and I'm a total chicken). I like watching people play horror video games, just not watching horror movies xD And I've never heard of ramen before; is it some kind of food that's only in certain countries? Anyway, thanks for the support; here's the next chapter:3**

**Coffee Writer Girl: I'm glad you like my fic:D And BBQ ribs are very swoon worthy, I think;P**

**handsup (anon): I know, killing sweet and innocent Chloe would be like the most unthinkable thing ever:o Good thing it's only a fic, right;P I'm a very picky person, but I'm still like a human trash xD Surf and Turf is seafood, right? Anyways, here's the next chapter; sorry to keep you waiting!**

**Awkward Penguin (anon): What is ramen? You're the second person to mention it, and I have no clue what it is xD Anyway, here's the next chapter; sorry to keep you waiting:3**

**DCG-Charlie: I envy your non-yawning skills then xD And yes, pasta is a definite win! I don't like pasta salad though:/ I like my noodles warm!**

**R41N-bow: Peanut butter pancakes? I have not tried these before, and now I must *_* New bucket list food! YOU STARTED THE SHOUTING FIRST, I would just like to point out;P Hmm, a giant blueberry? I don't know what to think of this:/ And to answer your random question, I would say cupcake, cuz they're colourful and I enjoy them (even though I don't like icing):3**

**Reda V: Glad you like it! Here's the next chapter:3**

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't. I just. Yeah, no.**

* * *

"Okay, wait," Beca said through giggles, propping her head up with her arm to look at the ghost lying beside her. "You _actually_ ran across town naked?"

Chloe grinned sheepishly, blushing as she shrugged. "It was a dare! How could I not?"

"Here's a thought: say no."

"But... It was a _dare_, Beca," Chloe said again, pouting. The brunette chuckled, rolling her eyes. It was the next day, and Beca had once again come by to visit the ghost before she went to school. They were lying side by side on the mattress, Chloe hovering next to the brunette as they took turns telling random goofy stories and anecdotes they had gone through before. Beca's ankle was equipped with a walking cast, her mother having brought her to the doctor the night before once the two had calmed down. He had stated it was a simple sprain, but since Beca had put a little too much strain on it, most likely when she had run away after injuring it, he had said it had been worsened enough to be a concern. Beca hadn't really wanted a cast at all, but she was glad it was one she could at least walk in without crutches.

"Stop snickering," Chloe reprimanded playfully, her ghostly hand moving out to swat at Beca's arm. It phased right through, and the brunette involuntarily shivered, grin never faltering. "It's your turn to share a story."

"Okay, okay," Beca said, sticking tongue in her cheek to hold back her smile. "Um, let's see... Well, when I was four, my dad took me to my uncle's farm, and he had a really big golden retriever. His name was Toby, and like most dogs do, he started barking and jumping all over me. Since I was so little at the time he knocked me over in his commotion, and I got really freaked out because it was my first time seeing a dog in real life. My dad was able to get the dog off me, but ever since then I've been afraid of big dogs," Beca finished her story with a sheepish grin.

"That's kind of adorable," Chloe chuckled. "You know you're big enough now that dogs won't be able to knock you over, right? Though maybe you're not _that_ much bigger," she said teasingly.

"Shut up!" Beca laughed incredulously at the short joke, rolling her eyes. "I can't always be a super bad ass."

"You realize you were cowering in fear the first time I saw you right? I think you lost your bad ass title that day."

"You're never gonna let me forget that, are you?"

Chloe giggled, sticking her tongue out. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm afraid of the dark."

Beca sobered slightly at this, raising an eyebrow. "Doesn't it get dark out here every night?"

The ghost averted her eyes. "Well, yeah, but I've gotten used to it. It doesn't freak me out as much as it used to anymore."

Beca stared at Chloe's bowed head thoughtfully. "I'll find a way to get you out of here eventually," she promised.

"Beca..."

"As much as I love spending time with you, you don't deserve to be stuck in this disgusting shed. You're too nice a person for that," the teenager spoke, and Chloe chanced a glance up at Beca, heart warming at seeing the pure concern on the brunette's face. She barely registered how close their faces had become as her eyes locked with Beca's, the inensity of her gaze taking Chloe's breath away. She absentmindedly began to admire Beca's eyes, getting lost in the varying shades of blues. Beca eyes were really pretty, she mused silently. Heck, Beca was really pretty.

"You have pretty eyes," she whispered to the brunette, watching Beca blush and duck her head bashfully.

"Um, thanks. They're nothing really amazing or anything though. I mean, your eyes are like so bright blue and breathtaking," she said, her voice low as she looked back up to stare into Chloe's bright glowing orbs. "They're really beautiful."

A slow smile grew on the ghost's face. "Beautiful?"

Beca nodded, a shy smile making it's way onto her mouth. That smile that Chloe loved to see. "Beautiful," she whispered back. The redhead felt as if she had melted into a puddle of goo, realizing Beca was no longer simply talking about her eyes. She once again yearned to touch the sweet brunette in front of her, wishing she could just pull the small girl into her arms, feel her body pressed against hers, feel her warm breath on her neck, but she knew she couldn't. She was a ghost. A ghost who still hadn't managed to master focusing herself into the real world.

Their intimate moment was interrupted by the sound of the school bell, and Beca pouted, breaking their intense eye contact as she rolled onto her back.

"I don't wanna go to school," she whined, exhaling loudly.

Chloe chuckled. "Poor baby," she said teasingly. "Though you realize if you're late it'll be twice as torturous, with all the teachers on your tail for being on time."

"Yeah, I suppose," she sighed, slowly easing herself to her feet with a groan, as if getting up were a difficult struggle. Chloe laughed at this, floating up.

"You're so lazy, you know?"

"I know," Beca grinned, moving towards the window. "Ugh, school should be illegal," she complained, leaning against the window sill.

"Aww, you'll be fine," Chloe teased, moving next to Beca to peer outside. "You sit there and pretend to learn for a few hours. At you'll get to see all your friends; that used to be my favourite part of school."

Beca hummed noncommittedly, pursing her lips. Chloe peered over at the brunette at this, eyebrows arching as questions about the DJ's social life began to surface again.

"Beca?" she chanced.

"Hmm?"

"How many friends do you have exactly?"

Beca glanced over at the redhead, raising a brow. "Um, why?"

Chloe shrugged nonchalantly. "I never hear you talk about any of them. I was curious."

"Oh, we'll you know," Beca let out a breath. "A few." At Chloe's questioning look, the brunette looked down, playing with her sleeves. "Um, a couple actually. You, and maybe Benji," she admitted.

"What?" Chloe asked disbelievingly. The brunette was so fun and nice, she could hardly understand why no one would want to talk to her.

Beca shrugged, giving a tight lipped grin. "The social ladder's a bitch. I was never that high up, but once I came out as gay I basically dropped to the bottom of the food chain. It doesn't really matter though."

"Well, if it helps I think they're all idiots if they can't see how awesome you are," Chloe said, offering a kind smile. "If I had been alive while you were in high school, we totally would have been fast friends." She was rewarded with a small smile from Beca.

"You're amazing, you know that?" the teenager chuckled. "There should be more people like you in the world."

"Stop," Chloe said, unable to hold back her cheesy smile, "you're gonna make me blush."

"Can ghosts even blush?"

The redhead laughed incredulously. "Shut it, you. You're supposed to be going to school, remember?"

"Yeah, I suppose," Beca chuckled, hoisting herself up onto the ledge.

"See you later Becs!" Chloe chirped, and the brunette only gave her a playful pout before leaping out.

* * *

School, as the DJ had predicted, was boring and tiring. The day had been uneventful for the most part, but when she had gone to hand in her English assignment, she realized with annoyance and anger that one of the jocks had stolen it, and with no evidence she had been forced to stay after school to finish her due assignment. Even though it didn't take long, considering she could remember the gist of her paper, she was still quite frustrated to be in detention in the first place, and she was quite happy when she finished the assignment, sauntering out the school's back exit with a sigh of relief. Unsurprisingly, the grounds were already barren, and she began making her way across the football field, trekking through the familiar trees as she made her routine trip to the abandoned tool shed. She had had to run home for lunch since she had forgotten it that morning, and she was excited to see Chloe again, even though it had only been a few hours since she'd seen her last.

However, as she approached the old building, her eyes caught sight of Benji on his front porch across the street, focused on a handheld videogame. Beca slowed to a stop, glancing at the shed once again with a thoughtful look. Turning her attention back to the curly haired boy, Beca hesitated before making her way across the street. She remembered Benji talking about his interest in ghosts, and considering the fact that Chloe had already said she wanted to meet him, she decided see if he wanted to visit Chloe with her.

"Hey stranger," Benji called out as he spotted the small brunette approaching. Beca gave a shy wave, stopping at the base of his porch.

"Hey, how's it going?" she asked, watching him put his gaming system away.

"Good. Beca, right? How'd you know I lived here?"

Beca gave a sheepish grin at this, mentally slapping herself as she realized how creepy this could be considered. "Well you know, my school is right... Over there and I saw, I mean. I'm sorry, is this weird?"

Benji chuckled, shaking his head. "Hey, it's fine. I've seen you a few times around here too as a matter of fact, climbing into the window of that old shed. How come you don't just use the door?"

"Honestly I'd prefer the door, but it's bolted shut," Beca said with a shrug.

Benji nodded. "Ah, okay. What's in there exactly?"

"Well, actually I wanted to show you," she said hesitantly, gesturing toward the old shed. "Wanna come see? I think you'll like it."

"You're not just leading me out into the forest to kill me, are you?" he asked jokingly, standing and hopping off his porch.

Beca grinned playfully. "Of course not, I'm more of an alleyway kind of girl anyway."

Benji laughed. "Okay I guess I'll come see. Is it haunted or something?" he asked teasingly, remembering her interest in ghosts.

Beca gave a cryptic grin. "You'll see," she said, beginning to lead him across the street. He noticed her slight limp, and his eyes fell to her ankle.

"Hey, what happened to you?" he asked, pointing to her cast when she looked at him questioningly.

"Oh, that. Long story short, I jumped out of a tree from too high up," Beca explained.

"Is it very serious? Did you fracture it?" Benji asked concernedly. He assumed it wasn't broken considering she could walk on it, But he also knew a sprain usually didn't require a cast.

"Mm, it's just a sprain, but I kinda ran on it right after it happened, so it got a bit worse," she said simply, averting her eyes. Benji, sensing he was beginning to hit dangerous territory, nodded meekly, accepting her answer and deciding not to push it further.

As the two teenagers approached the shed, Benji slowed his steps to analyze the mysterious building warily. Beca cast him a reassuring grin, not hesitating in the slightest as she strode up to the window and hoisted herself up, slipping into the building with practiced ease. Benji hesitated before following the suit, grabbing her offered hand to pull himself in. He stumbled slightly as he landed on the uneven mattress, but with the smaller girl's help he was able to gather his footing. Once steady, he looked around his new surroundings, instantly noticing all the garbage.

"Uh, you wanted to show me all this junk?" Benji asked, scrunching his nose in both confusion and disgust at the smell. "You don't live here, do you?" he said half-jokingly.

Beca chuckled, shaking her head. "No, _I_ don't live in here."

Benji, hearing the emphasis in her sentence, raised his eyebrow, glancing around warily. "Then who-"

"Hey!" Chloe greeted, flying down from the rafters. Benji let out a rather girly shriek, clinging to Beca as the ghost came into view. The brunette girl gave Chloe a smirk, raising an eyebrow as the redhead gave an apologetic grin. Benji, taking in Chloe's glowing, floating form, allowed his jaw to drop as he registered what was in front of him.

"Whoa, you're a ghost," Benji stated breathily, staring at Chloe in awe.

"I am," Chloe giggled, nodding in agreement.

"Benji, this is Chloe," Beca said, giving him a slightly annoyed look as she gently pushed him off her person. "She won't hurt you, I swear. She can just be a bit eccentric at times."

"Sorry," Chloe said sheepishly, backing up slightly.

"This is what I wanted to show you," Beca continued, grinning at his slack-jawed expression. "Since you're so into the paranormal, I thought you might like it if I introduced you to my best friend," she explained, not seeing the way Chloe's face completely lit up at the term. Benji continued to stare at Chloe, completely at a loss for words, and Beca chuckled, waving a hand in front of the boy's face. "Hey Benji, you still here?"

"Is he okay?" Chloe asked, raising a brow.

Beca snapped her fingers in front of his face a few times, still getting no response. "Great, you broke him," she said. Chloe was about to retort when Benji seemed to snap out of his reverie, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he tried to form a sentence.

"Wow..." Benji finally spoke, "your best friend is a ghost? Wow. This is... Wow. Now I understand why you were researching ghosts the other day," the boy said, still staring at Chloe in curiosity. "This is just... so amazing."

Beca nodded, a small grin on her face as she locked eyes with Chloe. "Yup, she sure is."

The redhead laughed at this, biting her lip. "You're such a cheese ball," she said, scrunching up her nose.

Beca narrowed her eyes playfully. "Don't make that face, you love my cheesiness."

Benji, who was still staring in bafflement at Chloe, slowly grinned as excitement began to enter his mind. "Wow, I can't believe I'm talking to a ghost right now."

Chloe grinned. "Well believe it, because I'm about as ghost as you can get," she said, gesturing to herself with her hands. "Sorry I scared you by the way, I'm kinda bad for that."

"No, it's okay," Benji said, shaking his head quickly. "I'm fine. You didn't scare me too badly."

"Yeah, you seemed to handle it pretty well," Chloe said, her eyes flickering to Beca teasingly. "Much better than Beca anyway. First time she saw me, she was-"

"Ooookay," Beca interrupted. "Do we seriously need to bring that up again?" Chloe snickered at this response, pressing her lips together.

"Sorry," she muttered again, though she looked far from. Beca just shook her head. Her attention shifted as she felt the boy next to her almost shaking in excitement, and she grinned, turning her head to look at him.

"So, you get to cross 'make friends with a ghost' off your bucket list. Is this awesome or what?" Beca asked Benji, gently bumping him with her elbow.

Benji nodded enthusiastically, a wide grin on his face. "Uh huh. So awesome. Thanks for bringing me here, Beca," he said, pulling the girl next to him into a quick hug. She squeaked in surprise, awkwardly patting him on his shoulder once the shock wore off. She heard the ghost snicker at this, and Beca rolled her eyes as a grin forced it's way onto her face. When Benji let go, he turned his attention back to the ghost, practically bubbling in excitement, much to the two girls' amusement. "Chloe, um, can I ask you some questions? I've always wanted to meet a ghost, and I have so much I wanna know."

Chloe nodded. "Oh totes! Fire away," she said, winking at Beca with her reference to their song. The brunette chuckled, moving to sit down on the mattress with Chloe and Benji following the suit. For the rest of the afternoon, the three misfits talked, joked and laughed, simply enjoying each other's company. Benji had to leave after a little while to his library job, and after promising to visit again Chloe and Beca bade him a cheerful goodbye as he reluctantly slipped out the window. Beca, not having anywhere to be, stayed with the redhead for a bit longer, the two easily getting lost in conversation again. It wasn't until the sun disappeared over the horizon that they took notice of the time.

"Oh, crap," Beca said, checking the time on her phone. "I should probably be heading home."

"Okay," Chloe said with a pout, which quickly morphed into a sweet smile as Beca gave her an apologetic grin. "Well, thanks for bringing Benji by. He was really nice."

"What about me? I wasn't fun to hang out with?" Beca asked jokingly, jutting out her lower lip.

Chloe giggled. "Don't worry, your still my favourite."

Beca smiled, reaching her hand into her bag. "Good, because your favourite person decided to bring you something." she said, and Chloe felt completely touched as Beca once again displayed her sweet side, pulling a small Pokemon night light out of her bag. "It's my old night light, from when I was younger," the DJ explained. "I know it's not much, but I figured it might help a little bit. I hope this plug-in still works," she said, standing and making her way over to the nearby outlet on the wall. She wedged it in, and it instantly flickered on with a bright green glow. Chloe couldn't help but widen her smile as it illuminated the whole area, instantly feeling relief from the looming darkness.

"It's perfect! Much less scarier in here now. Thank you so much Beca," Chloe gushed, floating up to the brunette excitedly.

"You're welcome," Beca said, happy to see Chloe so ecstatic over such a small gesture. "Now you don't have to be afraid anymore."

"I guess that makes you my knight in shining armor then," Chloe said half-teasingly.

"I dunno, that's setting the bar a little high," Beca retorted. "Next thing I know you'll be expecting me to come in on a horse so we can ride off into the sunset."

"I don't think a horse would fit through the window, but I like the idea," Chloe said with a wink. Beca only chuckled, shaking her head.

"You are something else, Chlo."

"I try," Chloe said with a nod, grinning. Beca returned it with a lopsided smile.

"Well, as much fun as this has been, I really need to go. I told my mom I'd be home like half an hour ago," the brunette said, reluctantly moving away from the ghost as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Okay, see you tomorrow?" Chloe asked hopefully, floating behind Beca as the brunette made her way to the window.

"You know it," the DJ responded, leaping up into the window sill. "Goodnight Chlo."

"Goodnight, my good knight!" Chloe said in a terrible British accent, giving a mock curtsey. Beca rolled her eyes in response, shaking her head at the ghost's goofiness. The brunette playfully blew a kiss at Chloe, and the redhead's familiar giggles echoed through the shed as Beca slid down to the ground below, a wide dopey smile plastered on her own face.

* * *

**A/N: I originally wasn't going to have Benji meet Chloe, but so many of you wanted it I squished it in. I had written out the chapter two ways, one with Benji meeting Chloe, and one without, but in the end I thought 'might as well' and chose this version. Not sure if I like that scene or not though, cuz to me it seems kind of rushed, but oh well. Tell me what you think!**

**Random question: what's your favourite season? Mine's winter:3 Mostly because I hate bugs (ugghh, bugs should be illegal DX), and I'd rather be hot than cold. If you're cold, you can just add more layers, but if you're hot, there's only so many layers you can take off:/ What about you?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So, I was gonna have more in this chapter, but it kind of turned out longer than I planned so I'm just posting it now. Next chapter might be shorter (unless I get a random impulsive idea to add something in). Just a heads up, this chapter contains some homophobic slurs and violence.**

**Review responses: (I apologize in advance, there were a lot of reviews!)**

**Brookester27: Glad you liked the chapter! Autumn is a pretty nice season too; warm colours and cooler temperatures. I'm not much of a hat person though. I just have a few kitty hats and a fedora; nothing to compete with your extensive collection xP**

**R41N-bow: Colourful cow poop; what a wonderful mental image xP And it's okay, I forgives you:3 You're aca-awesome too. And my favourtie shape... can I say a heart? I have one of those tattooed on my wrist:3**

**The Sinking Ships: I love hoodies too haha; hoodies and zip up sweaters. Allergic to cold? That must suck; so if it gets too cold in the house you could break out? Or does it have to be really cold?**

**Kate-foreverfan: Ah, you'll have to wait and see where I'm taking the story; can't spoil the ending;P You're actually one of the first to ask me that question though (that I can remember anyway) so kudos to you for thinking ahead.**

**Coolerthanadesert: Mmm, I have an idea on how Fat Amy could possibly make a small appearance, but I'm not absolutely sure yet, so no promises. Anyway, glad you liked the Benji part; a lot of people seemed to like it, so I'm glad I stuck it in there:3 Benji's probably my favourite male character in Pitch Perfect:) Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

**LaRibeiro: Glad you liked the Benji part! I don't think Aubrey's gonna make an appearance in this story (at least, not that I have planned) sorry:3 Nice to hear you look forward to my updates so much though. Even if you haven't forgiven me for having Chloe as a ghost;P**

**TeddyD100: Ugh, I hate walking places in the cold snow too, but I'd rather that then walking somewhere while overheating and sweating like crazy xP Glad you liked the Benji bit too; I was unsure at first, but I think I made the right decision now.**

**Reda V: Haha Bechloe banter is like the best thing xP Who needs rainbows and butterflies when you can have Bechloe banter?**

**Chloe-Sullivan14 (anon): Glad you liked it! Here's an update for ya; sorry for the wait:3**

**Ronnie123 (anon): Ah, I'm sorry xP You're not the first one to say they wish I hadn't killed Chloe. Though in regards to your bechloe question, you'll have to wait and see;3**

**handsup (anon): Gld you liked the Benji bit in there:) Yes, that's another thing I hate about summer; the sweaty grossness xP I don't think it's too crazy that you like winter. You can love winter for other reasons besides snow:3 And if it is the snow you love, it could be the whole 'rare occurences make it more special' type thing. Ya know?**

**Crystwind: Glad you like my fic so far! Here's the next chapter; sorry for the wait:3**

**Awkward Penguin (anon): Ah, I know what you're talking about now. I've eaten ramen before; I feel silly now xD But in my defense I don't call it ramen:P Anyway, nice to know my 'Benji meeting Chloe' bit wasn't a complete fail. Hopefully this chapter isn't a fail either:3**

**PitchPerfect1867: Yup! :D**

**Karrottop: Don't worry, I'm not going to have that happen to Chloe in this story. You have some good observation skills though! Here's the next chapter:D**

**Coffee Writer Girl: Thanks, glad you liked it! Nice to see you agree with me; bugs are completely pointless xD Here's the next chapter:3**

**Librabelieber: Ah, I feel silly xP I know you're talking about now, I've eaten ramen many times before. But in my defense I don't call it ramen:P I loved your review by the way; there was definitely some ghostie sexual tension:P I think it'd be cool to meet a ghost too, though I don't think murdering friends would be the best answer, cuz then the ghost probably wouldn't want to be your friend xP Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

**loveannakendrick: Haha, well I'm glad you like it so much! Here's chapter eight:3**

**AlwaysChn: Haha don't worry, a Pokemon night light is totes cool xP I'm happy to hear you like my fic so far! Here's the next chapter:3**

**xo-j-e-i-j-a-h-xo: Haha well I'm glad you like it so far! Your review amused me greatly xD I've enjoyed so many fics by just reading them out of boredom too. Nice to hear I snagged your attention, hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint:D**

**PitchPerfect015: I'm the kind of person to wear sweaters in summer too haha. And then people are always baffled because I wear just a sweater in the winter (as opposed to a heavy jacket). I get so many comments on my non-adapted seasonal wear all year round xP**

**WarriorOfTheLight: Well, nice to hear you liked it so much! I really enjoyed reading your review:3 Here's chapter eight!**

**Ezri Dax: Haha, glad you like it so much! Don't worry, here's the next chapter;P**

**DISCLAIMER: Dude, no.**

* * *

Beca sat alone in her school's library, staring intently at the laptop screen in front of her as her fingers danced about the track pad. It was lunch hour, and while Beca usually visited Chloe at this time, she remembered the ghost's current predicament, and she had quickly wolfed down her sandwich before checking out one of the school's laptops and situating herself in the library. At the moment she was looking at methods of tracking people down, since Chloe said they guy may not even be in Barden anymore, and so far she had found that police technology would probably be the most helpful. She had her iPod hooked up to her earbuds, streaming her favourite playlist as she researched online.

A grin absentmindedly made it's way onto her lips as the first familiar notes of Titanium came on, her mind instantly flashing with ghostly red hair and mesmerizing blue eyes. The brunette's head lightly started bopping to the music as she scrolled through endless search results, eyeing each link halfheartedly. She was just about to click on a somewhat helpful looking site when a shadow loomed over her, and she felt nerves of annoyance and fear swell in the pit of her stomach as she glanced up to see Bumper and his goons. His lips moved with a question, but her music blocked it out, and after raising an eyebrow at him she returned her attention to her laptop. The DJ wasn't entirely surprised when Bumper reached over, yanking the earbuds from her ears and throwing them on the floor.

"Hey dyke, I asked you a question," he growled. "What are you even looking up? Lesbian porn?" The rest of the boys behind him laughed, and Bumper grinned to himself. Beca swallowed hard, quickly snatching her earbuds off the ground and shoving them in her pocket. Keeping her eyes averted, she silently turned her gaze back to her computer screen in hopes that if she didn't give him a reaction he would lose interest and leave.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" he snapped, leaning on the top of the chair across from her. He clearly didn't like his taunts being ignored.

Beca clenched her jaw, refusing to look up at him as she focused her eyes on the keyboard.

"Does all that gayness fuck up your hearing abilities too?" he sneered angrily.

"Go away Bumper," she ground out, keeping her voice low and level. Bumper growled.

"You stupid little..." He stepped forward, slamming the laptop shut with her fingers still on the keyboard. Beca yelped in pain, yanking her hands out and cradling her throbbing fingers to her stomach. The group of boys roared in laughter as Beca glowered, Bumper grinning smugly at her in return. Grabbing her iPod from the table and slipping it into her pocket, the DJ simply stood up and stalked out of the library, silently hoping they would just take that as their victory and leave her alone. To her dread, she heard the following footsteps behind her.

"Where do you think you're going, bitch?" Bumper hollered after her. She ignored him, quickening her pace as much as she could with her cast. Her ankle groaned in protest, sharp pains shooting through it, but she paid it no heed, simply wanting to get away from these boys. She really wished she had just gone to visit Chloe now.

A rough hand suddenly seized her wrist, yanking her back forcefully. "Hey, listen to me when I'm talking to you!" Bumper hissed, fingers tightening painfully around her wrist and causing her to grimace.

"Leave me alone!" Beca snapped as she twisted her arm out of his grasp, instantly breaking out into a run as soon as she broke from his hold.

"Get back here you little cunt!" Bumper called angrily. Her ankle flared in pain, but their familiar thundering footsteps began following in hot pursuit, insults and crude jokes assaulting her ears, and she forced herself to keep going. Tears of both physical and emotional pain welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away, bolting out the nearest exit door and sprinting across the pavement. Remembering how she had lost them in the mass of trees before, she began running across the football field in hopes of repeating the method. However, as she bolted into the trees, the boys had already begun gaining on her, and her veering and twisting among the trees seemed to do nothing this time; her ankle was making her much slower, and with the boys so close behind her, losing them would be near impossible.

In a last desperate attempt, Beca twisted around behind the familiar old shed, diving in through the window. She landed painfully on the mattress, her breath getting knocked out of her as she wheezed. For a few breath-holding seconds she thought she had lost them, but her heart leapt into her throat as Bumper's face appeared in the window, smirking deviously once he spotted her.

"Hey guys I found her!" he called, and Beca felt ice run through her veins as Bumper began clambering through the window, into her one and only safe haven.

"No, please stop!" she whimpered out, backing away from the advancing figures.

"Thought you could escape from me you gay little faggot," he sneered, grabbing her by the hair and slamming her head into the wall.

* * *

Chloe drifted aimlessly through the rafters on her back, humming a random tune to herself as she let her mind wander to anything and everything. Beca appeared amongst her thoughts every so often, and a smile ghosted her lips whenever this happened, memories of the sweet but shy brunette always putting her in a giddy mood.

Her thoughts were broken as she heard a thud and some heavy breathing, and Chloe peered down to see the girl she had been thinking about sprawled unceremoniously on the mattress. She smiled, happy to see Beca, and she was about to float down to greet her when she heard someone's malicious voice holler from outside.

"Hey guys I found her!"

She watched as Beca's face contorted in fear and dread. "No, please stop!" she cried out, scrambling backwards as a bunch of sleazy guys began slowly fumbling into the window. Chloe's expression went from confusion to astonishment, then to a complete look of horror as she watched the first guy hiss a derogatory statement before grabbing Beca by her hair and smashing her face into the wall. The rest of the boys jeered and laughed, watching on in sickening enjoyment as Bumper threw the crying brunette to the ground.

"Stop! Please," Beca whimpered, but Bumper ignored her, driving his shoe into her stomach and making her wheeze and groan.

"Quit your crying, you dumb dyke," he hissed, kicking her again.

"Help! Ch-Chloe!" The DJ cried out, breathless from another rather hard kick to the stomach.

Hearing her name leave the tortured girl's lips, Chloe felt her shock and disgust boil into rage, and the ghost swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to move.

"Who's Chloe? Your lesbian lover?" Bumper sneered, earning snickers from his goons. The gang of boys continued to laugh and cheer Bumper on as he kicked the small brunette, who had curled up into fetal position in a feeble attempt to protect herself. However, the tormentors paused their actions as a loud disembodied boom rumbled the shed, startling them.

"The fuck was that?" Bumper asked, looking around warily. After a few silent seconds, the gang's attention shifted as they noticed a small green ball on the floor, emerging from the shadows and slowly rolling towards them. They watched the object in confusion and suspicion as it rolled closer and closer, coming to a stop as it gently hit Beca's shoe.

"Where did that come from?" one guy asked nervously, staring at the ball with cautious eyes. A stiff silence engulfed the shed as the crew glanced around warily, and Beca held her breath so not to set them off again, trying to slowly crawl away as her body basked in the temporary sweet relief from Bumper's strikes.

"Whatever guys, don't be such babies," Bumper said uneasily, his voice cutting through the silence. Glancing back down at his moving victim, he grabbed the back of her shirt, slamming her back into the ground before he gave another kick to her unguarded ribs. "Is this your doing, you freak?"

A whirl of light suddenly exploded from the floor beneath them, and the boys scrambled away from the blast in terror as a whirlwind of cold energy emerged from the ground. It slowly manifested into a looming figure, the image of a furious woman now protectively looming over the crying DJ. Her red hair looked almost like flames, billowing with power as it glowed dangerously, and her eyes were a fierce icy blue, alight with pure anger and hatred as she glared at the group of frozen guys before her.

"**Leave this place right now! Leave and never hurt this girl, or anyone else, ever again or I _will_ hunt you down! Do you understand me?!**" Chloe hissed out, her voice rumbling loudly in the tiny shed. The boys, wide eyed and deathly pale, were rigid with fear, staring frozenly up at the frightening spirit with muted stares. One of them let out a tiny squeak, but other than that they were struck speechless, unable to function their vocal chords around their hitched breaths. Beca, feeling the assault stop, chanced a slow glance up from her hands. Seeing the familiar ghost hovering over her protectively, a wave of comfort washed over Beca, despite the terrifying way the redhead was presenting herself. Chloe was defending her. Defending her in the same situation her father had run from.

After a few seconds of silence Chloe became impatient. "**I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!**" she boomed.

"Y-yes, miss spirit lady," Bumper squeaked out, looking smaller than ever as he cowered under the ghost's glare.

"_**LEAVE!**_" Chloe boomed, lurching towards them suddenly. The boys let out screams of terror, Bumper screaming the loudest and girliest as he scrambled his way clumsily out the window head first, the rest his goonies following the suit. They all landed in an ungraceful pile outside, but it didn't take long for them to stumble to their feet, the sounds of their yells fading off in the distance along with their footsteps. Beca felt safety and relief wash through her as she realized they had left, shakily easing herself into a sitting position with a pained trembling breath. Chloe took a second to calm herself, reverting back to her normal state before turning and flowing down beside Beca in concern. The redhead gave a sad smile, seeing the tears on the teenager's face.

"Hey, they're gone now, you're okay," Chloe whispered comfortingly.

"Thank you for that," Beca said, unable to stop the tremor in her voice. She was hunched forward slightly, and Chloe's eyes drifted downward as she noticed the brunette's arms wrapped carefully around her mid-section.

"Did they hurt your stomach?" the phantom asked softly. Beca nodded, a few more tears falling from both physical and emotional pain. She was so sick of crying, and she hated that Chloe had to see her facing Bumper's wrath, but at the same time she was glad Chloe had been there to protect her.

"Hey, it's okay Becs," Chloe mumbled, moving her hand up to ghost a finger through one of Beca's tears. The DJ felt the cold ghostly sensation on her cheek, and the caring and concerned tone in Chloe's voice caused more tears to fall. The brunette sniffled, hiccuping as she pressed her eyes to her knees in embarrassment and frustration.

"Sorry," she whimpered out quietly.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Chloe reassured her, the DJ's irregular breathing becoming the only sound that filled the shed as Beca cried into her knees. After a few minutes her tears slowed, Beca's whimpers subsiding. "I really wish I could hug you right now," the redhead admitted softly, watching on helplessly as the brunette tried to stop her breath from hiccuping. Beca slowly lifted her face, wiping her face before looking at the ghost, giving her a weak watery smile.

"I wish you could too," the teenager whispered back. "But even though you can't, I'm still glad you're here."

Chloe gave a warm smile in response, waiting patiently as Beca eventually calmed down, only a few hiccups and sniffles remaining. Noticing a stray tear on Beca's cheek, Chloe took a deep silent breath, a look of concentration crossing her face as she reached determinedly out to the small brunette. She was only able to solidify her hand for a couple seconds, but it was enough time for what she wanted to do, and she brushed the tear away quickly but gently. The ghost's breath hitched as she felt Beca's smooth, warm skin beneath her finger for that fleeting moment, and she silently relished in the feeling before her hand became intangible again and she pulled away.

Beca's heart beat faster as she felt cold skin touch her cheek for a quick moment before vanishing, and she looked over at Chloe, navy blue meeting crystal.

"You're getting better at that," she mumbled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Chloe gave a warm grin.

"I've been working at it," she said proudly, floating closer to the small DJ. Wordlessly, Chloe moved her hands forward, phasing them through the abused muscles on Beca's stomach. The brunette let out a sigh, her body relaxing slightly from it's tensed position.

"Thank you," she said, giving Chloe a small smile. "For everything."

"No problem," the ghost responded, glancing up to meet Beca's gaze as she cast a smile of her own. "You okay now?"

"Yeah," the brunette nodded slowly. "My doctor's not gonna be happy though, cuz I think I just fucked up my ankle even worse," Beca said, gesturing to her small cast. "He specifically told me no running or 'strenuous movements'," she explained, using her fingers to make air quotes. Chloe chuckled, glancing down at the DJ's ankle; it looked quite painful from how Beca was favouring it, and Chloe moved one of her hands through the cast to chill the injury, nodding at the brunette's 'thank you' as she kept her other hand on Beca's stomach.

"Just tell him you're too much of a rebel to follow the rules. He has to respect your bad assness, right?" the redhead quipped, her smile widening as she heard Beca giggle.

"I don't think he'd really appreciate that response," the brunette said.

"Well that's too bad for him then," Chloe said. "Though in all seriousness, you probably should go see him to get your ankle re-looked at. And maybe your stomach," she added, nodding to Beca's torso.

"Yeah, I suppose," the DJ sighed. "Not right now though. Right now I wanna just stay here with you," she said with a pout, leaning in Chloe's direction slightly. If the redhead were solid, the brunette would probably be leaning against her. Beca enjoyed being close to Chloe, even though she couldn't actually feel the ghost; it gave her a sense of comfort and security, even more so now that she knew the redhead was willing to protect her.

Chloe gave a soft smile at the brunette. Beca was so comfortable and at peace around her, and genuinely wanted to stay with the redhead instead of going anywhere else; it made Chloe feel special, like the two had an incomparable connection. "Well, I'm happy to have the company," she said, readjusting her body into a comfier position. "What should we talk about?"

Beca shrugged, letting out a small sigh of contentment. "I dunno, what's your favourite band?"

The ghost's eyes narrowed playfully. "Are you trying to start a musical debate with me, miss DJ?"

"Maybe," Beca said, a lopsided grin on her face. Chloe chuckled, giving in as she allowed the teenager to lead the conversation through all things musical. Throughout their discussion, the redhead silently marveled in the way Beca's face lit up as she got lost in the world of music, enjoying the way the DJ's walls dropped and her eyes glowed with life as she talked about something she loved. It made Chloe feel alive herself, and a warm smile grew slowly on her face as she watched Beca's lips move with her words.

This girl was really something.

* * *

**A/N: So, this is the scene that originally started the plot bunny for this story. I thought of this happening, but then in order for Beca to not be scared of Chloe herself she would have had to of met her before. So I thought of the first chapter. Initially, that's all I had planned, and I thought this fic was just gonna be like three or four chapters. Obviously, that didn't work, because a whole plot started to form in my head. And I'm an impulsive person. But anyways.**

**Random question: what's your favourite animal? I like birds, such as ravens and hawks, but my all time favourite animals would have to be the dog-like animals, especially wolves and foxes; they're so cool and cute:3 What about you?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm still here. And I've eaten way too much _ My birthday's on the 9th of September, and since I'm gonna be off to college before then, my family decided to have my Birthday supper last night, followed by ice cream cake. And I, being myself, ate waaay too many leftovers for lunch today Dx Whhhyyy do I do these things?! My tummeh D:**

**Review responses:**

**StalkerNinja94: Dude, don't start -_-'**

**Coolerthanadesert: Aww, thank you! That makes me happy:D Heck, all your reviews make me happy! You're aca-awesome;3 And I had to look up the honey badger video haha; that's one badass animal:o**

**Sorang (anon): Thanks for the constructive criticism; You're totally right. I took your review into account, contemplated it, then altered the first part of this chapter. So thanks for your input:3**

**owlbeaks: Opossums are so cute:3 I'm surprised your answer wasn't owls though, because of your username xP I guess that could represent almost anything though, so I can't really make assumptions haha.**

**Awkward Penguin (anon): Haha, I'm glad you found it amusing xP And oh my gosh, a midget cat; those are so adorable:O Just thinking of them makes me feel like exploding with fuzzy cuteness overload xD**

**Aravock: Aww, your hamster sounds absolutely aca-dorable x3 Maybe when you're not looking he goes off on crazy adventures, like Hamtaro:O Glad you like my fic so far by the way! I know what you mean; I really like Chloe's no-boundary personality too, but there was no way around it for this fic. That's why I try and make up for lack of physical-cuteness for banter-cuteness:3 Anyways, here's the next chapter; sorry for the wait:)**

**The Sinking Ships: Wow, that must get annoying sometimes. I didn't know cold allergies could be that sensitive:O Does the medicine make a big difference? (sorry if I'm being nosey, I'm just curious xP)**

**Coffee Writer Girl: Glad to know you like my fic so much! That makes me really happy:3 Hopefully this chapter lives up to the excitement:)**

**le sigh (anon): Glad you like my story so far! Haha, don't be such a negative Nancy; enjoy Bechloe in the moment:D Worry about endgame at the end:P**

**Reda V: Yeah she did! Glad you liked that part xP**

**Librabelieber: Haha, a giant leap for ghostkind; good way to put it xP Tigers are so badass too, I totally agree with you:3**

**Ezri Dax: That will be quite soon actually, haha. Next chapter, probably.**

**PitchPerfect015: Nice animal choices; all of them are like, super cool and badass;3**

**Beca1247: Glad you like my story so far! Wolves definitely look cool:3 Here's the next chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own it. Does one ever truly own anything?**

* * *

A few days passed since the whole Bumper incident occurred. Despite telling Chloe that she would, Beca had decided against going to the doctors again. She didn't want to have to tell her mom what had happened, not wishing to worry the woman, and she had no idea how to fully explain the situation without telling about Chloe's existence anyways. Besides, she figured since she could still walk there was no need for alarm.

It was a few hours after school had let out for the day, and Beca was currently making her way down to the library, her backpack slung precariously over one shoulder. Ever since Chloe had frightened the bully and his goons, Bumper had made himself quite scarce in the small DJ's life. Beca had to admit, it was quite a nice change, but she was still taking no chances, deciding to continue any and all research sessions at the public library instead of the school's.

She was planning on continuing her digging with police tracking methods, hoping to find a way to catch the escaped murderer that had slain Chloe. While she had already initially had her head set on helping the ghost, her resolve had further hardened itself when Chloe saved her from Bumper, and Beca had been secretly formulating a plan to catch Chloe's killer, her mind hardly focusing on anything else ever since. The redhead was nothing but sweet and innocent, and fate was just being cruel by keeping her locked away. Beca was going to free Chloe if it was the last thing she did.

Arriving at the designated building, she readjusted her backpack on her shoulder, pushing her way through the library's doors. However, the DJ froze in her tracks, annoyance shooting through her spine when her eyes landed on Bumper. He was standing at the front desk with his arms crossed on the counter, and judging by Benji's distressed look, the jock was being a nuisance again.

The sound of the door swinging shut behind Beca caused her to flinch, and Bumper's line of sight flickered over to her in a predatory manner. Instinctual fear crawled through the brunette's body, her widened eyes meeting that of her tormentor's familiar cold and arrogant gaze. However, Beca's was able to notice something different this time, instantly picking up on something not usually there during the bully's tormenting: the small signs of Bumper's faltering confidence, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he swallowed hard. He was scared too, and that was all she needed to feel a flicker of assertiveness, her face hardening into a glare.

"Get out of here, Bumper," she heard herself say, her voice cold and biting as adrenalin pumped through her veins with her nervousness. A look of mild annoyance crossed his face at this.

"Fuck off. Free country, lesbo," he growled back. However, he seemed to regret it as soon as he said it, a wary expression crossing his face. Beca saw this, and she raised a challenging eyebrow at him in response, smirking.

"_Chhllooooooeeee_," she whisper-called in a sing-song tone, looking around as if expecting Chloe to show up. Of course, the spirit wasn't actually in the library at all, but Bumper didn't know this.

The boy immediately sprang away from Benji and Beca at the mention of the ghost's name, pointing at the DJ angrily. "_No!_ Don't even-!" was all he was able to get out before whirling around, stumbling before bolting through the library's back exit.

Heart still racing, the realization of what had just taken place began to sink in, and Beca eyes flickered over to Benji as she registered what had happened with a look of wonder on her face.

"_That._ Was impressive," the curly-haired boy said, smiling as he noticed the bewildered look on the girl's face.

"Dude, did you just see that? Did that seriously just happen?" she asked quietly, a slow proud grin making it's way onto her lips. She had never stood up to Bumper like that before, and the rush of pride she felt seemed intoxicating, well worth the feat. It was invigorating, knowing she had literally chased one of the constant fears in her life away.

"Yes, it definitely did," Benji chuckled bemusedly, watching her slowly step closer to the front desk he was behind so she could lean on it. "Whoa, don't pass out. We don't have anywhere to hide the body in here," he joked.

Beca made a face at him, rolling her eyes. "Jerk," she said teasingly. He chuckled.

"But in all seriousness, are you okay? You seem a bit out of it," Benji asked.

"I've just never stood up to him like that before," the DJ admitted. "It's a really weird feeling."

"Ah, I see. I've actually never seen anyone stand up to him before either," the librarian said. "Thanks for getting rid of him by the way, he was really starting to get annoying," a thankful grin crossed his face.

"No problem I guess."

"Why did he get so scared though? At the mention of Chloe's name?" Benji asked hesitantly, leaning forward slightly so he could lower his voice. "Does he know about Chloe?"

Beca moved closer as well, speaking in a quieter tone, "He followed me into the shed the other day, and Chloe ended up scaring the crap out of him," Beca explained with a grin. "He actually screamed and flung himself out the window. It was kinda hilarious."

"It sounds like it would have been. It's nice to see him being put in his place," Benji said, unable to contain his smile as he replayed Bumper's hasty exit in his mind.

"I know what you mean," Beca said, smirking. "He's definitely had it coming."

Benji chuckled. "So what brings you here? Y'know, besides scaring Big Bad Bumper away?"

"Well, I needed to return this," Beca said, sliding her backpack off and setting it at her feet as she unzipped it. She rummaged inside the bag for a second, pulling out the ghost book she had borrowed and placing it on the counter in front of Benji.

"Okay, no problem," the boy said with a nod, grabbing the book and running it under the scanner before typing a few things on the computer.

"And I was also wondering if you had any books on police technology," Beca added, biting her lip. "Or, like, their tracking methods."

Benji's attention flickered over to the unsure DJ at this, raising an eyebrow. "First ghost books, now police books? You sure have a wide range of interests. Don't tell me your second best friend is a cop," he said playfully.

Beca chuckled. "No, I don't have any cop friends. That would be kinda cool though," she said with a grin. "You could have secret connections with the force, and tell people off by saying 'my friend's a cop'."

Benji grinned, his eyes trained on the computer screen. "Yeah, my dad's a cop, so I get to use that threat quite a bit," the boy admitted. "It actually really works. I think it's the only reason why Bumper's never laid a finger on me."

"Wait, your dad's a cop?" Beca asked, eyebrows raising as hope rose in her chest.

Benji nodded. "Yup, it's pretty cool."

"Do you think he could help me with something?" Beca asked.

The boy raised a brow at this. "Um, that depends. You didn't do anything illegal, did you?"

"What? No, I just need help locating someone. It's a long story, but it has to do with finding Chloe's murderer," she said, lowering her voice on her last sentence.

"Chloe's murderer?" he repeated slowly, concern washing over his features. "Chloe's killer was never caught?"

"No," Beca said. "That's why Chloe's still stuck here. You know, the whole unfinished business thing. With her killer still roaming free and all, Chloe can't leave the shed. That's why I want to catch him," she said determinedly.

Benji looked thoughtful for a moment. "I might be able to convince him to help with that," he said. "Who is it you're looking for?"

"Um, I don't know," Beca admitted.

"Well where do they live?"

"...I don't know that either."

Benji chuckled. "That's not really much to work on."

"I know," Beca sighed. "Chloe has the information, she just won't give it to me." She said.

"Why doesn't she want you to know who killed her?"

"She doesn't want me searching for him because she's worried I'll get hurt or something while hunting him down," the brunette girl said. "But she's gonna be stuck in that gross old shed forever unless I do, and I don't really think that's fair to her. This guy deserves to be put in his place, and Chloe deserves to be free," Beca explained, giving Benji a silent pleading look in the hopes of recruiting his help.

Benji bit his lip. "This sounds kinda dangerous though, don't you think? I mean, it's a _killer_ you're going after, one that hasn't even been caught. Are you sure it's worth it, just to get Chloe out of that shed? She may be cooped up, but she's safe."

"Trust me, she's miserable in there Benji," Beca said quietly. "I'm not asking you to dive into battle head first against a killer with me, I just want to know if your dad could do the arresting, and maybe some tracking if this guy has left Barden."

Benji looked hesitant, lowering his gaze as he weighed the pros and cons in his head. His hand fidgeted with a pen on the counter as he contemplated, and Beca's eyes absentmindedly watched it as she waited for his response, anxiously hoping for a positive answer. Eventually his eyes flickered up at her, and he nodded slowly. "Okay, but if you end up a ghost too because of all this, I'm saying 'I told you so'. I'm kind of enjoying having a friend so deep in the paranormal, and I'd hate to lose you so soon to a murderer," he said, a slow smile growing on his face.

Beca grinned as she rolled her eyes, but inside it felt nice to know that he cared. "That's not going to happen, but okay."

"So," Benji narrowed his eyes in question, "how are you going to do this exactly if Chloe won't tell you who this guy is?"

"I think I might be able to convince Chloe to tell me, if she knows I've got back up on this," Beca said thoughtfully. "When do you get off work?"

* * *

The sun was just setting on the horizon, and Chloe was floating cross-legged by the open window, serenely admiring the view before her. She loved watching the sunset, and before Beca had come along and opened the window she had no way of doing so, the glass being too filthy to see out of. Now that there was nothing obstructing her view, she often found herself admiring the outside world, that secret tug of longing soaking at the back of her mind. She wished she could go outside, feel the blades of grass brush her ankles, the dirt under her toes, the warmth of the sun's rays. Without realizing it, she let out a sigh.

"_**BOO!**_"

Chloe squeaked in surprise, her ghostly body flinging itself away from the window and up into the rafters in astonishment. However, the fear in her mind instantly melted away into relief and happiness as she heard two familiar sets of giggles, and the faces of Beca and Benji peeked up from under the window sill.

"I totally got you," Beca teased, hoisting herself through the frame. "Oh how the tables have turned."

"You jerks," Choe said with a laugh, not actually sounding mad at all.

"I'm sorry, it was all her idea," Benji said quickly, harboring a sheepish grin as he climbed in as well.

"Your face was priceless though," the brunette girl added. "Now you don't get to tease me about freaking out when I first met you anymore."

Chloe chuckled, shaking her head as she slowly floated back down towards them. "Oh, silly little Beca, I'm still gonna tease you about it," she reassured the DJ. "I think yours was _much_ more embarrassing anyways," the redhead playfully stage-whispered, grinning.

"You guys never did tell me what happened," Benji said, slightly confused as to what they were talking about. Chloe directed her grin at Benji, casting Beca a knowing look.

"Oh you know," Chloe shrugged, "When I first came out, Beca cowered on the floor for-"

"Ah, dude! Okay, I get it, you win! I'm sorry," Beca quickly cut Chloe off, playfully jutting out her lower lip. The ghost giggled, shaking her head.

"Way to easy," she said teasingly.

"Are you calling me easy?"

Chloe winked. "I dunno, are you?"

"You two are weird," Benji chuckled.

Beca snickered. "_She's_ weird," the brunette gestured to Chloe.

"You're the one making this weird!" the ghost laughed incredulously.

Beca giggled. "I know, I'm sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Sure you are," the readhead drawled. "So what are you guys doing here? I mean, not that I'm not happy to see you, but it's almost dark." Chloe said, eyes flickering back to the setting sun. Being reminded of their initial visiting intent, the two teenagers turned serious at the question, exchanging glances. Chloe raised an eyebrow at this. "What's wrong?" she inquired, a hint of worry lining her voice.

"Nothing's wrong, don't worry. I just... wanted to ask you about your murderer again," Beca explained slowly.

Chloe sighed at this. "Beca, I already told you..."

"I know," the DJ said, lowering her gaze, "but you're stuck in here, and I don't think it's fair to you. Plus, I really think I can do it."

"And I'll be ready to help out however I can," the Benji added, "so she wouldn't be doing it alone."

Chloe's eyes flickered alternately between them, torn between feeling touched or frustrated at their insistance. "You guys, I'm not letting you-"

"Just... hear us out," Beca interrupted her. "Please?"

Chloe hesitated before sighing. "Fine."

"So, I know you didn't want me looking for him," Beca started, "but I know you don't like it in here. And I thought maybe if I had Benji and his dad backing me up, you wouldn't worry as much."

"Benji's dad?"

"My dad's a cop," Benji elaborated. "He can help us track this guy down and arrest him. And I'll try to be as useful as I can be too."

"I don't know," Chloe said, biting her lip, "I don't want either of you getting hurt for me. It could be really dangerous, and getting out of here wouldn't be worth it if it cost one or both of your lives."

"We'll be able to do it Chlo, I know we can," Beca reassured her.

"But what if you can't? What if one of you gets hurt?"

Beca shrugged. "That's a risk I'm willing to take," she said seriously.

"Me too," Benji chimed. Chloe gazed at the two teens standing determinedly before her, willing to put their lives on the line just to free her from her imprisonment. It was very touching, knowing they would play at such risks for her, despite not having known her for very long.

"Look," Beca spoke up again, "I think I have a plan that we could use to do this, and Benji and his dad are gonna help us out too. But you're gonna have to trust me."

Chloe lowered her gaze with a thoughtful look, pressing her lips together. She trusted Beca, she really did, but she knew trust didn't matter when it came to danger; danger didn't care if Beca was trusted, nor did death care if the small DJ was so young and full of potential. But at the same time, maybe with Benji and his dad there, they could keep each other out of harm's way. Would it be worth it? She couldn't deny the yearning inside of her to leave this place, go anywhere else. Sure Beca and Benji were there to keep her company, but that wouldn't be forever, and soon the two teens would grow up and move on with their lives, leaving Chloe there to live a life of eternal loneliness.

The shed remained under a blanket of silence as she contemplated, and both Benji and Beca watched her patiently, waiting for her to say something and make her decision. After a few more breathless seconds, the spirit glanced back up, her glowing eyes instantly connecting with Beca's steel blue ones alight with determination.

"Okay," Chloe spoke, shattering the silence. "Okay. I'll tell you who it was."

Nothing could have prepared Beca for the answer that left the redhead's mouth though.

* * *

**A/N: I tried. It's the thought that counts, right? Btw, I'd like to thank Sorang (anon) for pointing out a need for character development in terms of Beca's cowardliness, which is why I added the whole Bumper bit in the beginning; sure it wasn't one hundred percent Beca!badass ninja, but you can't expect her to do a complete 180 in character. It's a big step for Beca, considering what usually happens. Hopefully that bit worked out alright:3**

**Random question time! Are you left-handed or right-handed? I'm a lefty, and I enjoy it quite much, cuz I have this thing where I like to be different in any way possible. Though it does get annoying sometimes (like sitting next to someone doing something and we end up bumping elbows a lot. And dragging my hand over everything I've written or drawn Dx Then my hand gets all black). What about you?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm sorry I took so long D: I'm adapting to busy college life, and I've actually gotten a bit of a social life here (not a big social life of course, that's ridiculous! Don't be silly:D). And I was having difficulty wording the starting bit. I've had this scene planned out for so long, but I'd never planned out the _beginning_ of the chapter, so I was a bit stumped:/ Anyways, here's the next chapter! Hope you like:3**

**Due to how many reviews I got for the last chapter, I'm doing the review responses at the end of this chapter, so people don't have to scroll through them (unless you wanna review:D Then you just have to scroll to the bottom:3) and so I don't ruin anything by responding to reviews. So yeah:D**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm running out of witty things to say here. Screw you disclaimer! I don't own it D:**

* * *

Ryan drove down the afternoon road at a leisure pace, his hand absentmindedly steering the truck as he allowed his thoughts to wander. Sheila and he had had a small spat earlier, and he was currently driving about in hopes of clearing his head. However, as he turned a corner, a ray of sun shone through the window, and a reflection of light in the passenger seat caught his attention. He cursed under his breath as he realized it was Sheila's police belt, the sun having reflected off the sleek black surface of the gun in its' holster, and he changed his route to return to the house, knowing Sheila had work later that night and would need her belt.

However, when he turned the next corner, his eyes caught sight of his ex-wife's house, which was perfectly normal of course; what caught his attention was Beca, who was exiting said building. Suspicion flared instantly as he eyed her, remembering all her unexplained sporadic disappearances as of late. The DJ's gaze was lowered to her iPod screen, and she turned onto the sidewalk in the direction of the school without seeming to notice Ryan's familiar truck at all. The man took full advantage of this, quickly driving forth a little ways and u-turning at the nearest intersection. He drove forward again, going until the brunette's small figure was just in his view before slowing down his vehicle to an idle roll, beginning to trail inconspicuously behind his daughter in hopes of avoiding suspicion. The teenager seemed to remain oblivious to her pursuer, tapping at something on her iPod as she continued on her route without worry.

After a few minutes, they reached Beca's destination, and Ryan's brow furrowed in further suspicion when she led him straight to an old shed at the edge of the school yard. The brunette clambered skillfully up onto the window ledge, despite her casted ankle, and put a hand to her stomach as she carefully slipped inside. Ryan glanced around curiously before pulling his truck up on the side of the road.

* * *

Beca didn't even bother turning to look when she heard someone struggling in through the window behind her; she knew who it was, and her back muscles tensed in anticipation.

"Beca, what are you doing in here? Is this where you've been disappearing off to?" Ryan's voice asked, a little breathless from his scrimmage through the window as his feet landed unsteadily on the mattress. He carefully stepped down, approaching Beca slowly in question. However, he stopped in his tracks as the window slammed forcefully shut behind him, jumping in surprise as he whipped his head around to look at the window that seemed to have shut on it's own.

"You killed Chloe," Beca muttered in an accusatory tone, not at all phased by the window closing itself. Ryan froze at the words, turning to stare at his daughter's rigid back incredulously.

"..._What?_"

Beca finally turned to face him, nothing but bitter anger on her face. "I said you killed Chloe. _Chloe Beale_. Ring any bells?"

"I have no idea what you-"

"Cut the bullshit. I _know_ you did."

Ryan didn't respond, narrowing his eyes as a small stare-down began between the two Mitchells. However, Beca didn't seem like she was going to give in anytime soon, glaring unfaltering daggers at her father. He was the first to crack, grinding his jaw in frustration. "Who told you?" he asked angrily. "Was it your mother? Because I swear if she told you-"

"No, mom didn't tell me," Beca bit back, infuriated by the amount of disgust in his voice as he talked about her mom. He had a lot of nerve speaking about someone else that way, especially considering _he_ was the disgusting one in this situation.

Ryan crossed his arms slowly at the brunette's tone. "Then who told you? _Chloe?_" he sneered back.

"Yes," Beca responded truthfully, spite in her voice. Her father looked annoyed at this.

"What are you trying to do here exactly? So you know I killed someone a few years ago. What is all _this_ about?" he asked as he gestured to the shed around him, trying to indicate Beca's strange behavior as of late. However, the teenager simply shook her head, not speaking, much to the man's chagrin; after a few seconds a vein bulged in his forehead, and he huffed in frustration. "God Beca, you're so infuriating sometimes," he growled.

"_I'm_ infuriating?" Beca snapped incredulously. "You leave me to get attacked by Bumper, you cheat on mom and destroy our family, and now I find that you killed someone? What the fuck is wrong with you?! Do you just go around killing people when it suits your fancy? Have you killed anyone else?"

"Watch your mouth!" Ryan snapped, irritation lining his features. "I haven't killed anyone else, it was just a spur of the moment kind of thing. Chloe was my student, back when I used to teach here. Nice girl, very smart. But she was really nosey too."

Beca let out a slow breath. "What do you mean?"

"Back then Sheila and I were still fooling around," Ryan admitted, "and a few times, when I didn't have a class to teach and Sheila was on patrol, we would come out to this shed so we wouldn't get caught."

The DJ's breath caught in her throat at these words, her stomach twisting in disgust. "You mean, in here..." she trailed off, nausea flooding her body as her gaze shifted to the worn out mattress beneath the window. The same mattress she had sat for endless hours talking to Chloe on. The mattress that had been secretly filthy with her father's cheating ways all this time. The revolting revelation caused her to gag, and the blood in her veins turned to a chilling ice. The warm, comfortable feeling of home the shed used to give her was slammed away in an instant, leaving a disturbingly cold and foreign feeling in it's place. It gave Beca a dirty and soiled feeling now, no longer her safe haven, and it made her sick to her stomach with repulsion, knowing that the place she had come to so many times for comfort was unknowingly the place where her parents' marriage had been tainted. She just wanted leave immediately, curl up and cry, but she knew she couldn't.

Seeing the look of horror on Beca's face, Ryan followed her line of sight to the torn mattress, smirking. "Yeah, we had some good times in here," he mused, disgusting Beca further.

"Oh god, I feel sick," she murmured, a hand over her mouth.

"That Chloe girl stumbled across us one day," Ryan continued, not seeming phased by Beca's words. "She must've seen us come in here or something. But I knew she would tell Danielle; she was too good a person not to. So I panicked." He ran his hand through his thinned hair. "Sheila still had her police outfit on at the time, and without thinking I grabbed her gun and shot. Unfortunately, I didn't think about the attention a gun sound would attract, and I heard people rushing over to see what had happened. I only had time to hide Chloe's body before some other teachers burst in. Turns out killing her was pretty pointless in the end, because I ended up getting caught with Sheila anyway. That was the day your mother found out," he sighed in exasperation. "I came back here the next day to properly dispose of the body, but Danielle caught me. Luckily I was able to... convince her not to tell anyone," Ryan explained, hesitating near the end. Beca took in her dad's story slowly, allowing it to sink in before speaking.

"What do you mean? How did you keep her from telling? Did you threaten her?" the DJ questioned hesitantly, almost afraid of the answer.

Ryan crossed his arms. "That's not important," he responded simply.

Beca shook her head slowly, letting out a shaky breath. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because it doesn't matter," he scoffed. "No one'll believe you. You're a rebellious attention-seeking teenager with a crazy imagination. Your story wouldn't be credible," Ryan stated plainly, crossing his arms.

Beca cocked a challenging brow at this. "Wanna bet?"

"What do you mean?"

At Ryan's wary look, the DJ smirked, lifting the bottom of her shirt to reveal her pale stomach. Except something was fastened on her, big black straps creating two circles around her body, the thick material just barely revealing a sleek grey walkie talkie. Ryan's face harbored that of a deer caught in headlights, and Beca's smirk widened as she pulled the radio off her stomach, bringing it to her mouth.

"Did you get all that?" she spoke into it, her eyes not leaving her father's. The radio buzzed with static before it clicked.

"Loud and clear. We're coming in," a male voice spoke back, one that Beca recognized as Benji's familiar tone. The sound of police sirens erupted, exploding though the silence, and the door of the shed began to rattle angrily.

"This is the police! We're coming in!" a voice hollered from the other side, banging on the door. The lock jiggled loudly, and Ryan's eyes moved in panic to the door before his furious gaze turned to Beca.

"What the hell have you done!" he shrieked angrily, clenching his fists.

"Avenged Chloe's death," Beca answered simply, giving Ryan a cold look as she threw the walkie talkie on the floor. The police continued to rattle the door, one of them hollering for a tool to break the lock with. The DJ's line of sight shifted to the door briefly before going back to her father, but a spike of panic riffled through her as she saw the crazed look in his eye.

"You little bitch! You're making a huge mistake! _Call them off now!_" he barked, gritting his teeth. The sounds of the lock rattling outside the door began to resound again, and Beca shook her head, keeping her fear off her face.

"It doesn't work that way Ryan," she said simply. There was a loud snap as the lock was broken, and the sound of metal hitting the ground was heard. Ryan twisted his head in panic at the door before he whipped back around to glare angrily at the brunette, and Beca's stomach dropped as saw him reach into his pocket before the sound of the cold familiar click of a gun was heard.

"_**You stupid, useless, whore!**_" he bellowed angrily, yanking a small black handgun from his pocket. The DJ froze in shock, her eyes wide in panic as adrenalin pumped through her veins and numbed her senses. The police slammed on the door from outside, dull booming thuds, and their calls were muffled to Beca's ears they desperately tried to break through the jammed and rotted door. Ryan's crazed wild eyes connected with hers, and he gritted his teeth, letting out a raging roar as he aimed the gun straight at Beca.

The shocking boom of the gun shot through Beca's trance with a resounding crack, smoke and a flash of light flying from the tip of the gun. The brunette flinched away, clenching her eyes shut as she braced herself for impact.

But nothing happened.

After a few seconds of silence, confusion set into the DJ, and Beca hesitantly opened her eyes. Surprise and relief rushed through her body as she took in the familiar glowing silhouette floating protectively in front of her, silk red hair flowing with energy. Chloe's face harbored a look of intense concentration, and it took a second for Beca to realize the ghost had the bullet encased in a small ball of energy, holding it tensely between her hands. Chloe's cold blue eyes flickered up to the stunned man before her.

"You can kill me a thousand times over Mr. Mitchell, but don't you **_ever_** try to hurt my Beca," Chloe growled, voice more venomous than it had ever been before. Ryan stated up at Chloe in fear and wonderment, struck completely speechless, and the redhead didn't give him a chance to speak before she let out a cry, deflecting the bullet back in his direction at full speed. It flew straight at him, glowing with fiery energy, and there was no time for Ryan to react before the bullet shot straight through his heart. His gaze turned dead, wide eyes staring blankly at the two girls before he fell to the ground with a thud of finality.

The air felt silent and tense for a moment, the realization of what had just happened sinking in. Barely a second later, a bright yet calming light burst throughout the shed, illuminating the room in a comfortable glow, and Chloe's normally translucent body was swallowed in a pure white light as her figure lifted gently in the air. Her hair and eyes began to glow more vibrantly than ever before with colour, and she turned to give Beca a thousand watt smile, purely giddy. The DJ returned the smile wholeheartedly, unable to help but think it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

"You did it Chlo," she said excitedly.

"_We_ did it," the redhead corrected, smile widening. "This is such a weird feeling. I feel so free now, unrestrained."

"That's good, it means it worked," Beca said with a chuckle, grinning widely.

Chloe nodded, giggling. "It does. It worked!" she bubbled gleefully, flying up and doing a few circles around the rafters excitedly, her body still encased in a beautiful pure glow. The DJ laughed, happy to see Chloe so cheerful and at peace. The redhead giggled at the sound of Beca's adorable laughter, doing another flip before floating down to hover in front of the brunette. "Thank you _so much_ Beca. For everything. For all of your help, your company, your friendship. And for freeing me," Chloe said sincerely, her voice soft and filled with gratitude. However, through the blissful moment, Beca was struck with a pang of sadness as she realized how much Chloe's words sounded like a goodbye.

The brunette swallowed hard, taking in Chloe's flawless glowing form as she smiled sadly. "You have to go now, don't you?"

Chloe gave a regretful look, her eyebrows arching upward. "I'm sorry, but it's my time. I'll never forget you though Becs, I promise. You are the most purest person I've ever met, in both life and death. You're amazing, don't ever forget that."

"I'll never forget you either," Beca said softly, her eyes watering.

"Can I show you one last thing, before I go?" Chloe asked slowly, her own eyes shining with tears. Beca nodded, and Chloe slowly floated back down until she stopped right front of the DJ. The redhead closed her eyes in concentration, moving forward, and Beca felt the breath leave her lungs as she felt Chloe's arms tentatively wrap around her body, enveloping her in a tight embrace.

"You figured it out," Beca whispered, voice cracking with emotion as she brought her arms around the ghost.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Chloe mumbled over Beca's shoulder, tightening her grip on the small brunette. Beca let out a tearful chuckle, her tears finally falling as she hugged Chloe back, pulling her even tighter in her arms as she nuzzled the ghost's neck. Neither wanted the moment to end, and they would have stayed there forever if the universe allowed, but Beca felt dread and panic shoot through her as she felt Chloe's touch fading away.

"No, please," she whimpered, trying to hug Chloe closer.

"I have to go now Beca, I have no choice," Chloe spoke in a teary whisper, her body slowly fading as she became translucent again.

"I just need to do one last thing," she said, and before Chloe could say anything Beca pressed her lips to Chloe's in a sweet kiss. Beca felt a shiver shoot through her spine as Chloe met the kiss eagerly, her heart soaring lightly as her legs turned to jelly. Breathlessly, she pulled away.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Beca whispered, resting her forehead against Chloe's. The redhead's body was still dissolving away, quicker now, and the ghost gave the teenager a sad smile, cupping her face as she moved in for another kiss.

Beca kissed back, this time throwing in as much passion as she could, but her lungs stopped working as she felt Chloe's cold hand on her cheek dissolve away, and she opened her eyes as Chloe pulled back gently.

"I'll never forget you, Beca," she whispered against the brunette's lips before Chloe completely melted away, the light fading off and leaving Beca standing alone in the cold dirty shed. She sniffled as she stared at the space Chloe had once occupied, running her hand through her hair as her tears began to fall faster.

"Goodbye Chloe," she whispered, her voice hitting nothing but the cold, empty air.

With one last resolved bang, the police finally busted through the door, rushing into the tiny shed. However, they stopped in their tracks at the sight before them, taking in the brunette's crying form and the man's corpse incredulously.

"What happened? Did you kill him?" one police asked.

"It was self defence," a voice said, and Beca could barely make out Benji's image from the doorway through her tears. The police seemed to accept this answer, seeing the gun in Ryan's hand, and they approached the body quickly to analyze it. Benji took this time to slowly approach the shaking brunette girl.

"It worked?" he asked tentatively. Beca nodded, sniffling.

"It worked," she answered back, voice shaky. Benji bit his lip, taking in the DJ's heartbroken face.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" he spoke softly, his voice gentle and non-accusatory. Beca wiped her eyes furiously, avoiding his gaze as she nodded.

Benji analyzed the smaller girl with concerned eyes. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked slowly, hesitantly. Beca began to nod, but switched to shaking her head as a sob ripped through her throat, and Benji gently pulled the girl into his arms in a comforting hug. Though she wasn't much for physical contact, she welcomed the action at the moment, and clung to Benji's shirt desperately as she wept. He hugged her tighter, hoping to calm the distraught DJ, but all Beca could do was cry harder. His hugs were nothing like Chloe's hug had been.

* * *

**A/N: Well. Yup. **

**I think a lot of you were expecting it to be Beca's dad, but I wasn't really making it some big mystery or anything:P If you thought about it, you'd probably have been able to put it together. If you didn't figure it out though, hey that's great! Tell me, cuz then I'll feel somewhat accomplished for having written it a bit discretely:P**

**Did anyone get teary-eyed? :P Cuz I did a few times while writing it.**

**Random question time! What's your favourite cereal? Mine's Froot Loops (do not own!)! Either that or Nesquick cereal (do not own!). I'm craving cereal so badly right now, but I have no milk; it went sour and I had to dump it out this morning D: So now I'm eating baked cracker chips. But anyways, what about you? I wanna know:D**

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

**romeothewriter: Lol, I'm assuming you were right:P Congrats! Virtual chocolate coins for you:3**

**Katie Reid: Oh cool! That means you're ambidextrous then:3 I wish I could use both hands, but alas, I cannot xP But anyway, glad you liked the chapter! Hopefully you liked this one too:D**

**Beca1247: Haha don't worry, that happens to us leftys too xP WE SUFFER AS ONE! Sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger for so long btw, hopefully this chapter makes up for it:3**

**Buttercup XD XD: Glad you like my story:3 Yes, you're right; it was him! You smart cookie you:3**

**owlbeaks: haha omg, your review made me laugh xD Sorry for the cliffhanging! And for leaving you hanging for so long xP Hopefully this makes up for it! Don't hate me :)**

**Librabelieber: Haha, I kinda thought it would be weird to have a ghost get scared too, but I decided to just write it anyway xP And hey, you were right! Virtual medal for you:3 Ghostly revenge ftw!**

**Pandaing: I'm sorry I'm so slow at updating xP your review was amusing though. Glad you like my fic! Hopefully this chapter meets your standards too:3**

**jamiexh: Haha, glad you liked it:D You were spot on! It was the dad:P Virtual gold stars for you!**

**The Sinking Ships: Wow, that must get insanely annoying:/ And whhaat? People think you're lying about it too? That must be majorly aca-nnoying:O Give them a good pitch-slap to knock them to their senses! (not really, that might come across as a little mean... Maybe a pitch-tap?) xP**

**LaRibeiro: Haha wow, that would actually be a really cool plot twist! I'm not that brilliant though, so yes, it was Beca's dad:P Congrats for getting it right! I give you a virtual cookie in return:3**

**Blakchloe: It is, you smartie you:P**

**Coolerthanadesert: Aww, thanks for the birthday wishes:3 Sorry about the cliffhanger xP You were totally right; Beca's dad was the culprit! You cracked the case:P Virtual gummy bears for you!**

**reading-is-my-love: Hmm, interesting observation. I think I read somewhere that lefthanded people are more creative while righthanded people are more logically/intellectually inclined, but I have no idea if that's true or not xP Anyway, glad you liked the chapter! Hopefully this one didn't disappoint; sorry for the wait:3**

**smw48910: Haha but hey, being ambidextrous is pretty darn cool:D But yes, Kendrick is a lefty (is it weird that I find that totally adorable? Cuz I do x3)**

**handsup (anon): Haha, I enjoyed your review:3 Great detective work! I go all detective sometimes on cliffhangers too xP I've heard that lefty fact too, but I don't think it's a dominant factor in whether you're creative or not; you can still be plenty creative as a righthander:3 Heck, I know tons of rightys who draw and create WAAAAY better than me x3 And lol, it's fine, I enjoyed your 'childhood story' xD**

**kerribubbles: Haha, some of my righthanded reviewers have informed me they have that problem too, so it's not just a lefty thing! Who knew? But now we can go back to being wonderful leftys without a care in the world:D LEFTYS UNITE!**

**xo-j-e-i-j-a-h-xo: I always get so mind boggled when I type out your username xP You're right though! T'was Beca's dad! What a bad man:O I give thee a virtual pie flavoured pie for guessing it right though:3**

**Lariie: Your review was so sweet and aca-awesome:3 I'm glad you enjoy my fic so much! It means so much to me to hear how much you like it:) I'm glad you like the 'Benca' friendship, because I enjoy it too:3 Much rather use him than Jesse. And if you guessed that it was Beca's dad, you were spot on! Pat yourself on the back:3 And yeah, I think it would be cool to be ambidextrous too! But alas, I remain a lefty xD Anyways, hope this chapter lived up to your expectations! Sorry for the wait:3**

**Kate-foreverfan: *whispers back* yes, you got it. You win a virtual puppy:3 Glad you liked it btw! Hopefully this chapter didn't disappoint:D**

**OilssssssAndStuff: You are correct, good sir or ma'am:D I send thee virtual rainbows of every sort! Glad you like my fic btw! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as well:D**

**loveannakendrick: Good, that's the idea:P Glad you like it. Can I just say that I love your username too? Cuz you know, Anna Kendrick:3**

**ChocolatMoosePi (anon): I'm glad you enjoy my fic so much:D And you were right in your thinking! Hooray! You get a big bowl of virtual ice cream:3**

**Awkward Penguin (anon): Haha all the rightys say they have the smudging problem too, so I guess it's a universal problem xD Oh well, all the more reason to enjoy lefty-hood. And sorry! Cliffhanger had to be done xP Hopefully this chapter made up for it; sorry for the wait:3**

**ImDownWithThisShip: Haha, but you guys are rightys:P We're leftys and you are rightys! Haha glad you liked the chapter btw. Hopefully you liked this one too:3**

**Pitchperfect015: Oh, your ambidextrous then:3 That's wicked cool!**

**loveyourfic (anon): YOOUUR CORRRRECCT. WAY TO GOOOOO! I give you a big glass of virtual apple juice as reward:3**

**R41N-bow: I got my tattoo about a year ago. And yes, I own a dog:3 I agree, penguins are cute! As for your question: if it's someone you've never talked to? I'd say talk to them xD That otta catch their attention! And your second random question: I can't look people in the eyes for very long, even if I'm really close with them, so I'm definitely a look away kind of person xD What about you? What's your response to these questions?**

**Kjack12: Wow, I'm glad you enjoy my fic so much! Don't worry, you WILL get to read it to completion; I have a mental promise to never leave a fic incomplete (cuz it's always so tragic when a beautiful fic that everyone loves never gets finished:/ There's way too many of those out there.) Hope you liked this chapter! Sorry for the wait:3**

**sysppbc (anon): Great guess! You got it:D You win a virtual brownie! Glad you like my fic btw:3 I totally see what you did with your anon username too;P**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: You guys need to calm your pits; it's definitely not over yet:P I still have this chapter and the next one (it was supposed to only be one, but it started to get a bit lengthy so I broke it into two) before I call it complete. Sorry to scare some of you guys though; that was not my intention xP This chapter is a bit... "sad cheesy" kinda (in that it's sad, but in the way I've written it, the sadness came off a bit cheesy (because I suck at writing sadness)); it's not the best, and I'm not really confident with this chapter, but I was tired of faffing about with it. So... here ya go:P**

**DISCLAIMER: I dunno why the word 'disclaimer' is amusing me so much right now, but it is. I don't own it though. I dis claim it. And then I sit back and giggle at the word. Teehee.**

* * *

Beca had hardly moved an inch all day. Memories of Chloe seemed to be constantly haunting her mind, everything prompting thoughts of the ghost in some way, and she was now curled up in her bed motionlessly, a blank crestfallen look adorning her face. She had tried listening to music earlier, but fate seemed to be against her as the first song that played in her shuffle was Titanium, warm crystal blue eyes lighting up in her head, and she nearly threw her phone out the window in angst. Who knew Chloe's memory would haunt her more than Chloe's ghost? Chloe's infectious laugh, Chloe's comforting smile, Chloe's fiery red hair, Chloe's perfect Disney eyes. It was like Beca's mind was stuck on the Chloe channel, and she had no idea how to change it. Whining in frustration, the DJ twisted in her bed, pressing her face into her pillow as a few tears slipped out.

The brunette wasn't fully sure how long she was lying like that, but eventually she heard her bedroom door open, her mom's voice tentatively cutting through the silence.

"Beca, do you want any supper? You haven't eaten anything all day," Danielle spoke softly, watching as Beca shook her head against the pillow. The woman sighed, moving further into the room and taking a seat on the side of Beca's bed. Danielle was quite worried about her daughter's behavior in the past twenty four hours. Last evening Beca had come home in a mess of tears, promptly going up into her room and not coming out since. The woman had come up a few times to check on Beca, desperately trying to figure out what was bothering the petite brunette, but Beca had refused to talk about it each time, leaving Danielle at quite a loss as to what to do. To her, Beca seemed completely heartbroken, and that was the hunch she was going on, but as far as she knew Beca hadn't been dating anyone.

"Beca, sweetie, will you please tell me what's going on? I have no idea what's going on, and you're starting to scare me," Danielle pleaded softly, running her hand through her daughter's chocolate locks. When she received no response, the woman sighed, desperately trying to rack her brain for any clues as to what was eating at Beca.

"Ryan's dead," the brunette spoke suddenly, surprising Danielle.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's dead. He tried to kill me and got shot in the process," Beca stated simply, her sentence muffled by the pillow. The older woman, stunned by the sudden statement, took a moment to process this information. Disgust was the most prominent feeling to hit her the instant she registered what Beca had said; he had tried to kill his own daughter, unfazed and uncaring. A small part of her was glad he was gone, no longer present to mess up their lives anymore. However, she didn't voice this, instead deciding to remain neutral and see how Beca felt about the situation.

"Is that what's upsetting you?" Danielle asked in an understanding tone, assuming the teenager was bothered that Ryan had tried to murder her. To her surprise, Beca shook her head. "No?"

"Him being gone doesn't bother me. He was a jerk in so many different ways. Hell, he tried to kill me. I'm kind of glad he's gone," Beca mumbled icily, having no ounce of sympathy for the heartless man who had ruined her life time and time again.

"Are you upset he tried to kill you?"

"It really didn't surprise me," Beca said lowly.

Danielle nodded in sympathy. "Fair enough. What's bothering you then?"

"Nothing," Beca mumbled in response.

Danielle remained silent for a moment, pressing her lips together in thought. "Does it have something to do with Chloe?" the woman asked tentatively. She seemed to get her answer when Beca's head shot up to look at her, curious and teary steel blue eyes meeting her mother's.

"How do you know about Chloe?" she asked.

"Your father told me something about you hanging out with a girl named Chloe," the woman responded, glad she was finally getting somewhere. "And you seem so down and... heartbroken. Did this Chloe girl break your heart?"

Beca sighed, lowering her gaze to her tear-stained pillow. "She didn't mean to," the teenager defended weakly, not wanting her mom to think badly of the redhead. "It wasn't Chloe's fault. She just... had to leave. But I miss her. I miss her a lot."

Danielle hummed in understanding. "Did she move away?"

Beca sighed sullenly. "Something like that."

"Well, do you think Chloe's happy wherever she is now?"

The brunette nodded slowly, biting her lip. "Yeah. I mean, I'm pretty sure she would be. She said she felt more free when she left."

"Then if Chloe's happy, you should be happy too," Danielle said, brushing a strand of hair behind Beca's pierced ear. "Sure you'll miss each other, but at least your time spent together was fun while it lasted. Be happy for her."

"I am happy for her. I'm glad she finally got to leave; she seemed really unhappy here," Beca said, rubbing her eyes. "I just really miss her."

"That's understandable, honey," Danielle crooned softly. "You can be sad she's gone, but don't be too sad; it's not the end of the world, even if it feels like it is," the woman rubbed Beca's back comfortingly. "You've been moping up here all day. Why don't you come down and have some supper?"

Beca sighed before nodding slowly, easing herself up into a sitting position. "Okay, I guess I could."

"Good," the older woman said, giving Beca an encouraging smile before standing. "I can make you some of that creamy potato soup you like, how does that sound?"

"Really good. Thanks mom," the DJ said, standing on shaky legs that hadn't been used all day. She sluggishly followed her mom down the stairs, being cautious of her weak ankle, and the two women turned into the kitchen quietly. Danielle instantly went over to the cupboard, pulling out a pot and filling it with water. Beca watched from the counter, pressing her lips together as a question that had been bugging her buzzed through her mind. Eventually she summed up the courage to speak. "Mom?"

"Hmm?" she hummed, her back to her daughter as she prepared the soup.

Beca bit her lip, knowing the answer would most likely be something she'd rather not hear, but needing to know. "What did Ryan do to keep you from telling about the girl he murdered?"

Danielle went rigid, and Beca wished she could take back the question as soon as it left her lips. The woman turned to face her daughter, giving her a sad smile. "How did you find out?"

Beca scratched the back of her neck nervously. "It's kind of a long story. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I was just... It was-"

"It's okay," Danielle interupted softly, "you just caught me off guard. I can tell you if you want. I was just worried it would upset you, but I guess your image of him is already pretty destroyed anyways."

Beca nodded weakly in response. "Did he threaten you?" she asked protectively, not liking the idea of her father bringing any sort of harm to her mom.

Danielle sighed, shaking her head. "No, sweetie," she spoke slowly, "he threatened _you_."

Beca's eyebrows raised. "W-what do you mean?"

Danielle hesitated as the disturbing memories brought themselves forth, taking in the innocent puppy face she saw on Beca. She didn't like telling the young girl any of this, feeling like she was tainting Beca somehow, but she knew the DJ had been through more than most would have been able to handle already. "He told me if I told anyone, he would kill you too," Danielle stated weakly, eyebrows furrowing with emotion; the thought of anyone, of Ryan, as a father, threatening to bring any sort of harm to her little Beca still brought upon disbelief and horror in her mind. How could a man so easily threaten to do something like that to his own daughter? "I was perturbed he would say such a thing, the disgusting prick. I couldn't believe how much of a monster he had changed into in such a short time, but I kept quiet. I couldn't imagine losing you for anything; you're my daughter, and I wasn't letting him take you away from me. And then when he came around trying to 'fix things' I thought he felt guilty for threatening you and wanted to make up for it. Obviously not."

Beca shook her head incredulously, running her hand slowly through her hair as she chuckled humorlessly. "That asshole. I don't even know why this surprises me."

"It's okay Beca," her mother spoke quietly, "it's all over now okay? We're safe, let's not worry about it anymore," she said encouragingly, smiling when Beca nodded. "Good, now no more negative talk, okay?" the woman said, sounding a bit more upbeat as she turned back to the stove.

"I'm not good at non-negative conversations," Beca stated dryly in a joking manner, watching her mom cook.

"It's called being positive, Bec," Danielle informed her teasingly.

"Okay then, I'm _positive_ that I suck at non-negative conversations," Beca corrected, the side of her mouth curving into a grin when her mom snickered.

"Smart ass," Danielle commented. "Just tell me anything. Is there something else exciting going on in your life right now?"

Beca shrugged, even though her mother couldn't see her. "Uh, I dunno, my mind is full of Chloe right now," she admitted honestly, memories of the redheaded ghost still storming her head.

Danielle hummed. "Tell me about this girl," she said, peering back at her daughter as she peeled a potato.

Beca's eyes took on a glowing fondness as she thought about Chloe. "She's perfect in every way," the brunette gushed, her voice taking on a lighter tone. "Friendly, bubbly, cheerful, enthusiastic, caring... I feel like I can be myself around her, you know? She likes me the way I am, and she's really into music too. Plus she's incredibly beautiful. Long flowing red hair and bright blue eyes, breath-taking smile that can light up a room..." Beca trailed off, reminiscing on all the little things she adored about Chloe and the time they'd spent together. All the jokes and stories they shared, the laughter and tears, the kiss. A goofy smile made its' way onto Beca's face without her realizing it. Danielle smiled sadly, seeing the shy, love-struck grin that melted on her daughter's face as she talked about Chloe, her eyes shining with bliss; Beca seemed to have completely turned to goo at the mere mention of this girl.

However, the moment didn't last long, and soon the brunette's warm lovesick look transformed, taking a darker, more sorrowful turn, her swelling heart getting completely crushed into the ground as she remembered the circumstances. She would never get to see Chloe again. Her smile, her laugh, her eyes. Everything about Chloe was gone forever, nothing more than a mere memory now.

Danielle sighed as she watched this emotional one-eighty, feeling completely at a loss as to what to do. She wished she could just wipe away the pain from her daughter's heart. She didn't want the DJ to suffer anymore. No mother liked to witness their child's first heartbreak. "Beca..."

"I miss her, mom," the small brunette sighed, her gaze lowering to the counter. Danielle gave Beca a sympathetic look, setting her kitchen utensils down and quickly wiping her hands before rounding the counter to hug the dejected teenager.

"I know sweetie," she cooed, stroking her daughters soft brown locks as Beca nuzzled her neck. "I know you do."

The brunette sniffled, trying to ignore the burning behind her eyes. "When does it stop hurting so much?" she rasped.

Danielle placed a kiss on the top of Beca's head, her heart going out to the younger girl. "It will fade eventually," she whispered in the DJ's hair. "You just have to give it time. You'll find someone else and forget all about it some day."

Beca hugged her mother tighter. "I don't want to forget about Chloe though," the teenager admitted quietly, her voice muffled against her the older woman's shoulder. "Chloe was the best thing that's ever happened to me. I wouldn't trade one minute I spent with her for anything in the world."

"But what about all the pain you're going through right now?"

"Chloe was worth it," Beca spoke, her voice low but full of resolve.

Danielle had nothing to say to that.

* * *

**A/N: Have I ever told you that I loved you? Cuz I do. I love you awesome nerd. You are beautiful.**

**I'm in a really queerball mood right now. Don't question me.**

**... And why the hell is 'Albuquerque' the suggested spell check response for 'queerball'? This doesn't even...**

**I'm so restless right meow.**

**Random question: What's your favourite movie (besides the obvious Pitch Perfect xP)? I have so many that I dunno if I could choose one! Elsewhere, Rapture-Palooza, Loving Annabelle, The Breakfast Club, DEBS (thanks to Stalker for that one xP)... I think out of those though, Elsewhere would be my favourite:3 What about you?**

**REVIEW RESPONSES: (so many guest I can't respond to! I love you all:O Thanks for the lovely reviews; you guys are aca-mazing!)**

**kimborox619: I can't say what's gonna happen, you'll have to wait and see:P**

**Ezri Dax: Haha there there, calm yourself ma'am or sir;P**

**romeothewriter: Nice to know you enjoyed the chapter:D And wow, glad you liked the writing of it, it means a lot coming from you:3 I was wary of last chapter's writing at first, but now I'm not as worried, so thanks for that:D**

**TheGreenEyedRioN: Haha you felt right; her dad is a mean man:P The fic isn't over yet though, there's still one more chapter after this:3**

**destinysoccerplayer: Aww, I'm sorry for killing your feelings:( I can't tell you what's gonna happen next though, you'll have to wait and see!**

**itsmefiebs: Haha oh cool! Glad you guys enjoyed my fic enough to gamble food over it; don't I feel special now;) Hope she got you something aca-awesome for supper!**

**Pandaing: Haha sorry to make you cry x3 But hey, it's not over yet! There's still another chapter after this; but I can't say anything more, so you'll have to wait and see what happens:P**

**Coolerthanadesert: Haha, I'm glad you've enjoyed it; you're one of my favourite reviewers;P But hey, slow your rollers, don't go running off just yet; it's not over yet! One more chapter to go now:D**

**sysppbc (anon): Haha nope, it's not finished yet! Just one more chapter left to go now:3**

**Katie Reid: Lol, sorry to make you cry in your french class! Your review amused me xP But calm yourself; it's not over yet! Still one more chapter left after this one:3**

**loveannakendrick: Haha sorry, it had to happen xP**

**Beca1247: Well awwz, thanks x3 It's nice to know you enjoy my fic so much, especially since you're a Jeca shipper;) It's not over yet though, so don't worry! One more chapter to go:3**

**S (anon): Aww, sorry to make you cry; if it helps, I almost made myself cry too, and I knew it was gonna happen since I started it xP**

**NettBaby: Haha, it's not over yet! But I can't tell you any more than that, so you'll just have to stick around and see for yourself;)**

**handsup (anon): Haha, you'll have to wait and see what happens, cuz I can't tell you:P I'm not sure what cookie cereal you're talking about, but the rest of the cereals you mentioned are awesome:D I like milk in my cereal (I'm one of those people that find it refreshing xP) but I know where you're coming from with the 'it tastes funny' thing, cuz it does leave a bit of an aftertaste xP Water is a good choice beverage though! It's good for you, and keeps you hydrated:3**

**ChocolatMoosePi (anon): I knooow right? Glad I gave you feeels:P**

**Librabelieber: Haha, Chloe isn't the type that I could see torturing Ryan though, so killing will have to suffice I guess xP Glad you liked the chapter! Hope this one wasn't too horrible either:3**

**Alli (anon): Aww, I'm sorry to make you cry, but at least it means I've written it well enough to stir up emotions:3 Glad you like my fic though, it means a lot:)**

**megannconwayy: Haha, sorry to make you cry at work xP But don't worry, it's not over yet! There's still another chapter left after this one:3**

**Awkward Penguin (anon): Haha don't worry, there's still one more chapter after this:3 And wow, you really like your cereal; that's aca-awesome! Cereal is like the best thing:O**

**The Sinking Ships: Why of course m'lady/m'gentleman (?), one must always quote Pitch Perfect whenever possible:P Ah, I see, that's a good idea; it probably leads to less questioning too, just saying allergies and nothing else:P**

**xo-j-e-i-j-a-h-xo: Haha, that's good; glad I was able to stir up some emotions with my writing:3 You'll have to wait and see what happens next though, cuz I can't tell you:) I've never heard of Honey Star cereal, haha. And dude, I don't know why it just occurred to me now, but I can totes just copy paste your username 0_0... Why did I only think of this now? Why do I suck? Tell meh DXXXX (:P)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I'm sorry. College and I had a thing. I did not like said thing. **

**Last chapter guys.**

**DISCLAIMER: I can't even get my hands on the Pokemon game I want (I went to the store yesterday on release day but it was sold ouuuut (which was to be expected but still) Dx), so it's safe to say I lack the skills to obtain Pitch Perfect rights. So no. Not mine.**

* * *

Beca lie half awake on her bed, floating in and out of consciousness as her mind drifted about aimlessly. She had gone down to the police station earlier that day, having to fill in her side of the story on what happened concerning Ryan's death. The police already assumed it had been an act of self-defense, having questioned the hysterical Beca the day of the incident, but they needed an official statement for their files.

With Benji backing her up, she had relayed as much information as she could offer, twisting the story slightly so Chloe's ghost didn't come up; that would most likely do more harm than good to her credibility. She told it straight from the beginning, about her father's cheating, Chloe's murder, Ryan's threats, anything that pertained to the situation, the whole story finally unraveling itself and splaying out into the open. Her story matched up perfectly with the recording of Ryan's confession, but the recording also seemed to conveniently cut off right after the gunshot sound, a secret courtesy of Benji in order to cut out Chloe's voice.

When the police questioned Beca about the confrontation in the shed and what had happened in there, Beca simply stated the whole confrontation was a blur to her, and she had blacked out in her moment of panic, regaining her senses to find Ryan lying dead on the floor. The police pulled up the unresolved missing person's report on Chloe, and after Danielle confirmed Beca's story as well, they decided the teenager's story was reliable, connecting the dots as they deduced Beca must have blacked out under the emotional stress and adrenalin when her father had started screaming at her. With the fact that the gun was still in Ryan's hand, the police deemed his death as a suicide to escape arrest, and in the end, once the story was sorted out, all the witnesses were dismissed. It was finally over.

While Beca was happy everything had worked itself out, her dad was no longer an issue and Chloe was avenged and freed from her confinement, it gave the situation a strong sense of finality, like that part of her story had finally passed and was over for good. Everything to do with the redhead had been removed from her life, and it made Beca feel emptier than ever before. The ghost's absence seemed so much more official now; Chloe was permanently gone from the DJ's life forever, nothing more than a passing memory that was whisked away far too quickly.

Curling up into a tighter ball in a futile attempt to calm the aching in her chest, Beca sighed, burrowing deeper underneath her sheets as her mind inevitably danced once again with Chloe's memory.

* * *

Chloe's eyes flickered opened tentatively, the overwhelming brightness causing a sharp pain to shoot through her head, and her eyes watered as she quickly jammed them shut again. After a few seconds she opened them again, slower this time, peeking tentatively through her lashes as her eyes adjusted to the harsh light. Once she was able to fully open them she glanced around curiously, taking in the new surroundings displayed before her. It was a pitch white area of nothingness, but it was oddly calming, her body floating aimlessly about. However, it felt different than her ghostly floating; she couldn't control where she was floating at all right now. Not like there was anywhere she could go anyways.

"Hey ginger, how's it hanging?" an Australian voice spoke suddenly, casually cutting through the silence. Chloe whirled around in surprise, at least she tried to.

"Who's there?" the redhead asked, twisting her neck to look around for the source of the voice. She jumped when a big blonde woman appeared rather suddenly in front of her, the stranger displaying a small sheepish grin once she realized she had surprised Chloe.

"Sorry for startling you," she offered apologetically. "I'm Fat Amy."

Chloe raised an eyebrow at this odd woman. "Um, Fat Amy? You call yourself Fat Amy?"

"Yeah, so twig bitches like you don't do it behind my back," Amy explained simply, giving a wide toothy grin.

"Um, okay..." Chloe shook her head slightly. "So... where exactly are we, Fat Amy?" the redhead asked, looking around at the blank white surroundings again.

"We are, wherever you want to be," the blonde said vaguely. "It's quite nice here, don't you think?"

"Well, yeah I guess, but-"

"There's also something I need to discuss with you," Amy cut in. "Something a little bit important."

Chloe gave Amy a curious look. "Um, okay. What is it?"

"Well you see, I work with all that fate mumbo jumbo," Amy began to explain, "and it's been brought to my attention by my superiors that you killed Mr. Mitchell back in the real world. Which is wonderful because, you know, avenging your death and all that fun stuff," Amy started. Then she scrunched her face up, "buuuut, you also kind of meddled with fate a little bit."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, raising an eyebrow. Was Amy some sort of master of fate or something?

"Eh, well you know," the blonde started, "you messed with how fate had planned everything out. Specifically when you caught that bullet and flung it back at Mr. Mitchell like it was a hacky-sack. No ghost has ever been able to do that before, and we really weren't planning on it happening. You knocked our fate plans all out of whack, just blew them to smithereens," Amy said, making an exploding hand movement. "Made us re-think everything and question our life choices and stuff, you know?"

"Um, I'm sorry I'm not sorry," Chloe said with a hesitant shrug, not fully sure were the Australian was going with this.

Amy, seeing Chloe's confused face, sighed exasperatedly as she tried to think of the simplest terms to put it. "You see ginger, you tampered with fate," she stated bluntly. "When Mr. Mitchell shot that gun, _Beca_ was supposed to die. That was how we had it planned."

Chloe's eyes widened at this, her breath snagging in her throat. "Oh my gosh. What?" she whispered. She didn't even want to imagine what it would have been like to see Beca get killed, to see the bullet impale her body, the light leave her steel blue eyes and watch as her body fell with a sickening thump at the hands of her own father, the same man that had murdered Chloe; just thinking of it made her chest hurt, and she couldn't begin to fathom how horrible the situation would have turned out if her favourite little DJ had died. How the situation was _supposed_ to pan out, had Chloe not tampered with fate.

Seeing the redhead's expression, Amy softened her resolve. "Yeah, it would have been horrible, but it was how it was supposed to be. However, you caught the bullet and flung it back at him, something that I've never seen happen before. Like ever. Which is a _little_ bit awesome in a way," the blonde assured Chloe, demonstrating the word 'little' with her index finger and thumb. "You can be proud of that accomplishment and stuff I guess. You know, even though you've messed up my plans and made this whole thing a bit difficult."

"What are you getting at exactly? What's going to happen?" Chloe asked, slightly nervous.

Amy hunched her shoulders, looking thoughtful. "Well, if Beca were to die that night, you and Mr. Mitchell would have still been stuck down there, and I would have only had to take care of one soul," the Australian began to explain, holding up one finger. "But, you meddled, and now instead of one soul, I have to unexpectedly take care of two: yours and Mr. Mitchell's," the blonde held up a second finger for emphasis.

"So what are you going to do then?" the redhead asked.

Amy sighed dramatically. "Weeeeell, I could just take care of you both, but it sounds like a lot of work, and I'm not really prepared for it and stuff. I just wanna get this over with, cuz there's a cheesecake in the fridge calling my name."

"... Wait, are you dead too? I thought we couldn't eat foo-"

"But anyway," Amy continued to speak as if Chloe hadn't even said anything. "Usually in this situation I would send back the person you killed, Mr. Mitchell."

Chloe's eyes widened. "... You uh... you're not gonna do that though, right?"

"Yeaaah, after looking over his records, I've determined that he seems like a dickhead, and I don't wanna send him back," Amy stated non-committedy, scrunching up her face. "Plus," the blonde added more sincerely, "there's also the fact that I know there's someone back in the real world who really misses you."

Chloe didn't even have to ask to know who the Australian was talking about, warm steely blue eyes and rich chocolate tresses rearing in her mind. "Beca?" the redhead stated questioningly. In response, Amy moved her hand, drawing out a glowing circle in the air. The circle shimmered before taking on a clear image inside of it, and Chloe was able to make out the petite silhouette of a familiar teen-aged girl curled up in her bed, staring blankly ahead with a sorrowful look.

"Beca," Chloe breathed out, heart reaching out to the younger girl as she saw how broken she looked. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, just heartbroken," Amy stated, swishing the vision away with a flick of her hand. "She really loves you, you know."

A shy, yet bright genuine smile crossed Chloe's face as her breathing hitched, crystal blue eyes shimmering with emotion. "She does?"

"And you love her too."

The redhead nodded quickly, biting her lip. "I do. So so much," she admitted easily.

The blonde smiled. "Well good, you two are so good together. I totally ship you guys."

Chloe's love-struck look faltered, her face harboring another look of confusion. "Wait. Ship? What ship?"

"Yeah, like Bechloe."

"What does that-"

"Which is why, after maybe two seconds of debating, I've decided to give you the choice instead of Mr. Mitchell," Amy explained, cutting off the redhead.

"Choice?"

Amy looked seriously at the ghost before her, asking the question she had brought them here for in the first place. "Chloe, do you want to go back to the real world?"

The redhead's eyes widened, looked at Amy unsurely as she bit her lip. "You mean, as a ghost or...?"

"No, I mean as a human," the Australian clarified, smiling as Chloe's face lit up at this. "You'll have the same body as you did when you were alive, the same appearance, except we'll kinda repair it up for you. You know, cuz gunshot wound and decaying and stuff." Amy made a slight disgusted face at this before turning serious again. "So, what do you say? You wanna go back?"

"I say, y-yes. Yes!" Chloe chirped quickly, excitement taking over her features. "A thousand times yes! I want to be alive again!"

"I was hoping you'd say that," Amy stated, grinning widely at the bubbly redhead. Not hesitating in the slightest, the Australian raised her hand toward Chloe, creating a waving motion at her. Chloe felt her whole being tingle numbly, hot and cold prickles overcoming her before she felt warmer. She suddenly felt different, more constrained, weighed down. she felt solid. Her mind was spinning with the transition, making her dizzy and nauseous, but through the sensation she came to the shocking realization that she was now in her body. She had a body again; a solid, human body. She felt down her torso in disbelief, feeling her chest, her stomach, her legs, her face, her hair. They all felt foreignly solid, and Chloe examined her hands in excitement and wonderment. Her whole being ached with under usage, and her lungs began to burn with lack of oxygen, and she tentatively opened her mouth, sucking in a deep breath of air. Her first real breath of air in a long time. She was finally alive again.

Amy chuckled at Chloe's amazement and disbelief. "How does it feel to live again?" she asked. Chloe's bright crystal blue eyes flickered up to the blonde.

"It feels so different," Chloe croaked, vocal chords rusty with disuse. She cleared her throat before continuing. "It feels... Like a foreign feeling, but at the same time it's familiar. I don't know how to explain it. It's so wonderful... I'm alive again, like actually living. I didn't think I would ever..." she trailed off again, flickering her eyes back down to her hands with a wide grin, the reality of the situation finally sinking in as happy tears sprung to her eyes. She was _alive_. "Thank you so much Amy. You have no idea how much this means to me," she spoke sincerely, voice wavering with emotion.

Amy chuckled. "Your welcome. And you can repay me by going back down there and getting your girl," she said half jokingly, half seriously, "cuz my ship is suffering right now."

Though Chloe still hadn't a clue as to what the blonde was talking about, she gave a nod and a giggle, and with one last gesture and wave from Fat Amy, the redhead disappeared in a ball of light.

* * *

Beca was jolted from her semi-slumber when there was hurried knock at the door. The brunette grunted, pulling the sheets over her head as she tried to ignore the noise and go back to sleep. However, the visitor persisted, knocking again. And again.

Beca growled in frustration, flinging the covers off and quickly wiping her face with her hands as she stalked out of her bedroom.

"I'm coming!" she called out as the visitor knocked again, walking down the stairs as quickly as possible with her ankle cast. Getting to the door, she flicked the lock aside, yanking the door open. To her surprise, Benji stood in the doorway, looking like he'd eaten a big box of rainbows for breakfast. Beca raised a brow at this.

"Uh, hi Benji. What's up?" she asked unsurely. The boy grinned even wider.

"Oh nothing, I just know you've been really down lately and I thought I'd bring you a present to cheer you up," he explained giddily. Beca looked even more confused at this.

"Um, what do you-"

But before the DJ could finish her sentence Benji stepped aside from the doorway, and Beca stopped mid-sentence, her breath hitching as she saw the familiar red locks and brilliant blue eyes. She hardly had a second to process what was happening before she was tackled in a tight hug, a familiar hug that made her insides turn to goo, and she had an armful of happily crying redhead.

"Beca! I missed you so much! I would have come here first but I didn't know where you lived," Chloe babbled quickly, nuzzling her nose in the brunette's hair as she silently marveled at effortlessly being able to touch Beca, at Beca's warmth, Beca's scent, Beca's soft skin. The whole sensation was more than she could have ever imagined, tingles dancing about her skin at the electric touch of the brunette, and her scent was something Chloe never realized could be so addictive. It was all so new to her again, and it made her even giddier to be with the small DJ, more tears of happiness leaving her eyes.

"Ch-hlo? You're alive?" Beca asked quietly, sounding disbelieving. The person hugging her looked just like Chloe, except they were solid, and they smelt like strawberries and chapstick, something Chloe had never smelt like before. Beca tentatively wrapped her arms around the redhead, feeling actual warmth and soft, solid flesh from the other girl. "I-I don't understand. Chloe?"

"I'm alive, Becs," Chloe whispered in Beca's ear, warm breath tickling her skin. The redhead pulled back just enough to connect her watery eyes with the baffled brunette's, giving her a warm, familiar smile that Beca had grown to know and love. A thousand watt smile grew on Beca's face at this, the brightest smile Chloe had ever seen on the brunette, before she tackled the redhead back into a hug.

"Oh my gosh, _Chloe!_" Beca exclaimed, her own eyes watering with joy as the redhead hugged her back tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again," she whimpered. "How are you-? How did you-?"

"I'll explain all that later," Chloe chuckled lightly, sniffling as she pulled back slightly. "Ugh, I'm not used to breathing and crying and... Anything anymore," she admitted with a laugh, putting her hands on either side of Beca's face as she wiped a few years away with her thumbs. "And I can touch you now," Chloe said with a bright smile.

"It's such a surreal feeling," the brunette said quietly, her hands moving up to gently wind around Chloe's waist. "You're actually human right now," she breathed. "Are you sure I didn't pass out or something and this is all a dream?"

"It's a possibility," Chloe said playfully. "I would definitely haunt your dreams."

"Don't even joke like that, dude," the DJ said, not wanting to imagine this whole scenario being a dream.

"Too soon?" Chloe asked. Beca giggled as she nodded, leaning forward to capture Chloe's lips in a heartfelt kiss. It was like an instant reaction, explosions and fireworks dancing in their vision as their lips tingled. It felt much more electrifying than it had been when Chloe was a ghost, as her lips were warm and soft and gentle against Beca's. Chloe, no longer having to focus on solidifying herself, was able to get lost in the kiss, enjoying the feeling of being pressed against the smaller girl so easily. Weak knees and breathless lungs took over, and Chloe was the first to reluctantly pull away, out of air.

"Wow, so you're alive now," Beca spoke quietly, as if not wanting to break the moment. Chloe nodded.

"That I am," the redhead responded back, leaning in a bit closer. "I love you, Beca," Chloe whispered breathlessly, resting her forehead against the brunette's. The DJ grinned blissfully at this, wrapping her arms tighter around Chloe's body as she enjoyed the sensation of having the redhead pressed against her.

"I love you too, Chlo," Beca whispered back, never feeling as happy and at peace as she did right then. "So so much."

* * *

_You're like a ghost to me_

_A love so true I cannot see_

_You're such a mystery, but I'm_

_Head over heels for you._

* * *

**A/N: And that's a wrap. I can't believe this fic is over; I'm so glad I decided to write it though, it was a nice experience:3 Is this a happy ending enough for you guys? Was it what you expected? I had this planned since the very beginning, and whenever one of you guys would comment all sad because bechloe couldn't be endgame I would just be all "uhhh, you will see, but I cannot tell you so you must wait Dx". But c'mon, I'm a hardcore bechloer, you couldn't seriously think I'd end it without them getting together! You guys should know better;P So anyways, thanks for reading til the end! You're aca-awesome:D And a special thanks to all the fantastic reviewers that stuck with me throughout this fic; you know who you are;3 I love you awesome nerds!**

**Anyone who reviews this chapter will receive a response via PM, considering I can't respond through the chapter updates anymore. So to all the anons who review this chapter, I thank you in advance, because I won't be able to reply to you. You guys are appreciated just as much:D**

**The song lyrics I added at the end were from the song I used to name this fic, 'Skeletons' by This Century. It's an awesome song, you should check it out:3 I feel the song suits this fic quite well if you think of it in context of the fic instead of the actual song's meaning; I didn't mean for that to happen, cuz I didn't base the story around the song or anything, it just kinda worked out that way xP**

**Random question: what's a weird food quirk of yours? Like, an odd combination or thing you do with your food that most people wouldn't consider? I can't actually think of any extreme oddities for me right now xP I dip my sour cream and onion chips in ketchup, and I like peanut butter omelettes. Are those considered weird? What about you?**

**Don't worry, I'm friendly:D**

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

**Brookester27: Haha, sorry for messing with your emotions xP And nope, definitely not weird! We can be fanfic author bros;P Hmm, I've never heard of the movie you mentioned, but it sounds pretty interesting:)**

**Librabelieber: You caught me haha, I was hoping nobody would catch on and we could just breeze over the police stuff, cuz it's not fun to write and involves either bullshitting or research xP I added in a tiny bit of police stuff in at the beginning of this chapter, if that soothes your mind:3 Haha sorry, this is the last chapter, but you were kinda right in your prediction: Chloe returning and bechloe happily ever after:P And wow, you have a lot of favourite movies! Lots of horror too, I see. You must have a really intense DVD collection:P**

**nelson-girl2013: Haha, I've never seen Resident Evil, but I've heard a lot about both the movie and the videogame, so they have to be pretty awesome:)**

**Owigotpitchslapped: Aww, thank you! It means a lot to hear it:D And yes, Jennifer Lawrence is just completely aca-dorkable x3**

**rockieroad1: Sorry to make you cry, but at least it means I'm doing my writing properly! And glad to hear you like my fic so much, thank you:D**

**itsmefiebs: Glad you liked the chapter! Yeah, Beca's dad is quite a jerk. But hey, at least she get's Chloe, right;P**

**owlbeaks: Haha YES AGAIN. Sorry I'm not sorry; hopefully the end made up for my cliffhanging;P**

**jamiexh: But of course;P Fellow bechloe shipper, I couldn't NOT have a happy resolution!**

**Beca1247: Aww, thank you so much:3 Yeah, all good things must come to an end, but hopefully the ending itself is good enough to make up for it:) I really wanna see Now You See Me, but I haven't gotten to yet:/ But you're totes right; nothing beats Pitch Perfect;)**

**Chloe-Sullivan14 (anon): Thank you, glad to know you like my fic so much:D Nice to know you're a hard Bechloe shipper too, cuz Bechloe is totes awesome;) And yeah, I know what you mean with the Disney movies; I love watching them and just going back to the innocent kid mindset. I dunno if I'd be able to pick a favourite Disney movie though, cuz they're all so awesome:3 Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing my story! It was nice to hear from you, and I appreciate you taking the time to comment:3**

**Coolerthanadesert: Haha sorry to upset you! I can assure you that it's over for real this time; hopefully the happy ending makes up for the fact that it's over:3 I've heard of that movie actually, but I never bothered to look into it because I hate horror xP Just out of curiosity, why is Mama an exception to your dislike of horror movies? Is it not scary?**

**elekitty: Haha, hello you xP Sorry to take so long with the final update, but hopefully the happy ending made up for it:D I've never seen Wreck-It-Ralph before, but I want to eventually! I actually have it on DVD, I'm just to lazy/busy to watch it xP**

**Over Worked Witch: Dude,I absolutely loved reading your reviews; they were both sweet, beautifully written, and amusing:3 And you actually took the time to answer all of my Random Questions! You're aca-awesome:D Sorry to scare you with the chapter 10 false ending; it seems I scared quite a few people with it, even though it wasn't at all intended xP Glad to know you like my fic so much though; it means a lot to me:3 Unfortunately, this is the last chapter of the story; all good things must come to an end! But hopefully the happy ending makes up for that fact that it's over;) I know what you mean too, with all other movies not seeming to matter once Pitch Perfect came along; why watch random movies when you can obsess over Pitch Perfect xP I haven't watched Drinking Buddies yet, but I want to eventually, because Anna Kendrick! How can you not;3**

**GabyGaft: Haha sorry to make you cry, but this is a good thing! It means my writing is decent enough to play with emotions, which is always a writer's goal:3 Here's the ending chapter; was it anything like you imagined? Hopefully it lived up to expectations:3**

**AnonRandom (anon): Aww, sorry to mess with your emotions so much, but it had to be done xP Glad you're enjoying the fic though! Nice list of movies too; I love Easy A, and I've seen Mean Girls and Toy Story, but I haven't seen the rest of them. I'm sure they're awesome though; I've thought of watching Black Swan a few times, but never actually got around to it:3 Anyway, thanks for reviewing my fic! I really appreciate it, and it was nice hearing from you:D**

**ChocolateMoosePi (anon): Hey, glad you liked it:) I initially hadn't planned on having all the mother-daughter stuff; it kinda just wrote itself in and I let it be xP Hope you like the ending! And thanks for reviewing; I enjoyed hearing from you:3**

**xo-j-e-i-j-a-h-xo: Nice to hear it:3 Well, not nice to hear that I'm breaking your heart and stuff, but it's nice to hear that you've gotten so attached to my story; I'm glad you're enjoying it so much:) Haha you, reveling in my oblivious struggle to type your name out xP I've never seen If Only; never even heard of it, I don't think:/ The name itself sounds very cheesy though, so I'll trust you when you say it's a cheesy movie:P  
**

**Pitchperfect015: Ah yes, the wonderful world of Hogwarts. Harry Potter is pretty awesome:3**

**Awkward Penguin (anon): Haha sorry to scare you:P I can tell you, this is the actual ending; hopefully the happy ending makes up for worrying you! I love the Lion King, but it's been awhile since I've seen it; never seen Resident Evil though:/ I've heard of the movies and games a lot though, so must be pretty good:) Anyway, thanks for sticking with the story and leaving reviews; I really enjoyed reading your comments, and I greatly appreciate the support:3**

**Pridemunkeyz: I can't remember if I replied to you or not, so I'll do it again xP Thanks for reviews! Yes, Nesquik cereal is a thing; they're like cocoa puffs, I think. And I totes agree; Beca and Chloe are definitely 'ghey' for each other xP And hey, hopefully this ending suited your standards! You weren't too far off:)**


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